Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a peace deal to end the war with Russia was "90 percent ready" in a New Year's address that was largely focused on resisting a full-scale Russian invasion.
Zelensky said the remaining ten percent of the agreement, which would end nearly four years of conflict, "will determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe."
In his New Year's speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin told his troops that "we believe in you and our victory."
Earlier on Wednesday, Moscow released what it called evidence that Ukraine used drones to target Putin's private house on Lake Valdai, in northwestern Russia, allegations that Kiev has vehemently denied.
This included a map purportedly showing that the drones were launched from the Sumy and Chernihiv regions of Ukraine, as well as a video of a downed drone lying in a snow-covered forest. A soldier standing next to the wreckage claims that it is a Ukrainian "Chaklun" drone.
The BBC was unable to confirm the authenticity of the recording, and it is not possible to determine where it was recorded.
The Kremlin said that Russia would review its position on ongoing peace talks as a result of the alleged incident.
However, Kaja Kalas, the European Union's (EU) top diplomat, on Wednesday described Russia's claims as "deliberate distraction" and an attempt to thwart the peace process.
In his 20-minute address to the nation, Zelensky said Ukraine does not want peace "at any cost," adding that "we want the end of the war - not the end of Ukraine."
He said that a Ukrainian withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region would mean "the end of everything," an allusion to Russia's maximalist demand that Moscow secure full control over the industrial area in any peace agreement.
Moscow currently controls about 75 percent of Donetsk Oblast and about 99 percent of neighboring Luhansk Oblast. The two areas are collectively known as Donbass.
Its fate was a major obstacle during the negotiations, with Russia consistently unwilling to compromise on its goal of taking full control of Donbas.
In his address, Zelensky thanked the leaders who supported Ukraine, but said that "intentions must become security guarantees, and therefore - they must be ratified."
Following talks between Zelensky and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Florida earlier this week, the Ukrainian leader said Washington had offered security guarantees for 15 years - but the timeframe for their implementation was not yet clear.
"Signing weak agreements only fuels war. Either the world stops Russia's war, or Russia drags the world into its war," Zelensky said in a speech.
In contrast, Putin's New Year's address was significantly shorter.
Speaking about the war in Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation," Putin said: "We strive to bring joy and warmth by caring for those in need of support and, of course, to stand by our heroes – participants in the special military operation – both in word and deed."
Separately, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised the "invincible alliance" between Pyongyang and Moscow in his New Year's message, while also praising soldiers fighting in "foreign lands."
North Korea has sent thousands of troops to help Russia invade, along with missiles and long-range weapons, South Korean officials said.
According to South Korean estimates, at least 600 of those soldiers were killed.
Zelensky expressed his desire for peace talks to continue and accelerate this month, with the participation of both American and European officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that European states and allies, who are scheduled to meet in Paris on January 6, "will make concrete commitments to protect Ukraine and ensure a just and lasting peace on our European continent."
On Wednesday, Trump's advisers spoke with Zelensky and national security advisers from Great Britain, France and Germany about ending the war in Ukraine.
United States (US) Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said they discussed "strengthening security guarantees and developing effective deconfliction mechanisms to help end the war and ensure it does not resume."
But any deal will ultimately require Russia's consent, which is not yet in sight - and the alleged drone incident over Putin's residence may have further distanced that possibility, writes the BBC.
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