Zelenskyy: Russia plans large-scale strikes on Ukraine at Christmas
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russia is planning large-scale attacks on Ukraine over the festive season and has rejected the idea of a Christmas truce.
Source: Zelenskyy speaking to journalists at the Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Academy, as reported by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne
Details: Zelenskyy said the Kremlin's actions indicate that they are preparing for another terrorist attack at Christmas.
Quote: "We understand where we are. This is their nature – to carry out some kind of large-scale strike during our Christmas. There was a meeting of the Staff [of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief] on this today. We are once again raising the issue of air defence and protecting our hromadas, especially on 23, 24 and 25 December." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]
Details: Zelenskyy said Russia has shown no willingness to make compromises regarding a Christmas truce.
Quote: "The Americans were very keen on a Christmas truce. This is always a signal that the sides want to find something diplomatically. It's not that we don't want this – we do. But there will be no Christmas truce. The Russians immediately made their intentions clear."
Details: Zelenskyy said he has ordered the maximum concentration of defensive assets around large cities, towns and hromadas. Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and other services have been switched to enhanced launch monitoring mode.
The president added that work is underway on securing contracts for dozens of new systems and expanding Ukraine's own air defence production, with results to be announced later.
Background:
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed that Russia consider a truce at Christmas, expressing the hope that the Russian authorities still "have some remnants of humanity left and can leave people in peace for a few days".
- Zelenskyy said Ukraine and the United States support the idea of a truce over the Christmas and New Year period, but that everything depends on Russia's political will.
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia had rejected the proposal.
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