Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is gearing up for a new offensive against Ukraine, aiming to turn 2026 into another year of war. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, asserted that Russia will definitely achieve the goals of its special military operation in Ukraine.

In his regular nationwide address on Wednesday (December 17), Zelenskyy said: “Today, we are hearing another signal from Moscow—they are preparing to make next year a year of war.”

He called on European leaders to reach a consensus on using frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine at the two-day EU summit starting on Thursday (December 18).

Zelenskyy emphasized that the outcome of the talks “must make Russia realize that its attempt to continue fighting next year is meaningless, because Ukraine will receive support.”

The EU has frozen nearly $250 billion (approximately S$320 billion) of Russian sovereign assets, the majority of which are held at Euroclear in Brussels, Belgium.

A senior Ukrainian official revealed on Wednesday that the U.S. government has recently been pressuring EU member states to reject proposals to use Russian assets to fund Ukraine.

White House officials disclosed on Wednesday that U.S. and Russian officials will hold talks in Miami, U.S., this weekend to discuss former President Donald Trump’s Russia-Ukraine peace plan. Zelenskyy said on Thursday that U.S. and Ukrainian representatives will hold a new round of talks in the U.S. on Friday and Saturday.

The initial peace plan proposed by Washington would require Ukraine to withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region, with the U.S. recognizing Donetsk, Crimea, and Luhansk as part of Russia. This was criticized by Ukraine and its allies as overly biased toward Russia.

Putin spoke confidently during a meeting with Defense Ministry officials in Moscow on Wednesday, stating that Russian troops are steadily advancing on the frontlines and that Russia will surely achieve the objectives of its military operation—including annexing the Ukrainian territories it has occupied.

Putin noted that Russia prefers to resolve and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic means, but if Ukraine and its allies refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russian troops will seize more Ukrainian territory by military means.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said on Wednesday that the task for Russian forces in 2026 is to accelerate the pace of their offensive. He revealed that Russia allocated 5.1% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to the Russia-Ukraine war in 2025.

According to estimates by the Russian Economic Ministry, the country’s GDP this year is approximately 217 trillion rubles (about S$350 billion), meaning Russia has invested around 11 trillion rubles in the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is gearing up for a new offensive against Ukraine, aiming to turn 2026 into another year of war. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, asserted that Russia will definitely achieve the goals of its special military operation in Ukraine.

In his regular nationwide address on Wednesday (December 17), Zelenskyy said: “Today, we are hearing another signal from Moscow—they are preparing to make next year a year of war.”

He called on European leaders to reach a consensus on using frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine at the two-day EU summit starting on Thursday (December 18).

Zelenskyy emphasized that the outcome of the talks “must make Russia realize that its attempt to continue fighting next year is meaningless, because Ukraine will receive support.”

The EU has frozen nearly $250 billion (approximately S$320 billion) of Russian sovereign assets, the majority of which are held at Euroclear in Brussels, Belgium.

A senior Ukrainian official revealed on Wednesday that the U.S. government has recently been pressuring EU member states to reject proposals to use Russian assets to fund Ukraine.

White House officials disclosed on Wednesday that U.S. and Russian officials will hold talks in Miami, U.S., this weekend to discuss former President Donald Trump’s Russia-Ukraine peace plan. Zelenskyy said on Thursday that U.S. and Ukrainian representatives will hold a new round of talks in the U.S. on Friday and Saturday.

The initial peace plan proposed by Washington would require Ukraine to withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region, with the U.S. recognizing Donetsk, Crimea, and Luhansk as part of Russia. This was criticized by Ukraine and its allies as overly biased toward Russia.

Putin spoke confidently during a meeting with Defense Ministry officials in Moscow on Wednesday, stating that Russian troops are steadily advancing on the frontlines and that Russia will surely achieve the objectives of its military operation—including annexing the Ukrainian territories it has occupied.

Putin noted that Russia prefers to resolve and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic means, but if Ukraine and its allies refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russian troops will seize more Ukrainian territory by military means.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said on Wednesday that the task for Russian forces in 2026 is to accelerate the pace of their offensive. He revealed that Russia allocated 5.1% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to the Russia-Ukraine war in 2025.

According to estimates by the Russian Economic Ministry, the country’s GDP this year is approximately 217 trillion rubles (about S$350 billion), meaning Russia has invested around 11 trillion rubles in the war.