President Zelensky Says Russia Is Preparing to Continue the War Next Year

President Zelensky. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that Russia was preparing to resume the war in his country next year, commenting on President Vladimir Putin's statement that Russia would definitely achieve its war goals in Ukraine.

"Today, we heard another signal from Moscow that they are preparing to make next year a year of war," President Zelensky said in a nightly routine speech, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (18/12).

In his speech that night, he said President Putin's aggressive signals "are not just for us."

"It is important for our partners to see this, and it is important for them not only to see it but also to respond, including our partners in the United States, who often say that Russia allegedly wants to end the war," he said, accusing Moscow of trying to "undermine diplomacy."

The statement was a reaction to President Putin's statement, who earlier said Russia would achieve its goals in the Ukrainian attack, including seizing Ukrainian territory that it claimed as its own, amid a series of international diplomacy to end the war.

"The goal of the special military operation will definitely be achieved," President Putin said in a meeting with Defense Ministry officials in Moscow, using the Kremlin's words for the nearly four-year-old war.

"We prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy," he said, pledging to seize Ukrainian territory that Russia claims it has annexed "by military means" if "the opposing country and its foreign supporters refuse to engage in substantive discussions."

President Putin's comments came as Ukraine on Monday hailed "progress" made on the issue of future security guarantees for Kyiv, after two days of talks with US President Donald Trump's envoy in Berlin.

However, according to President Zelensky, there is still a difference regarding which territories Ukraine should surrender to Russia.

Washington's initial proposal - which Ukraine and its allies criticized as too favorable to Russia - would have seen Kyiv withdraw from eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognize Donetsk, Crimea and Luhansk regions as Russian territory.

The contents of the current revision plan are still unclear.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Kremlin said Russia was awaiting information from the US on the outcome of the talks in Berlin.

"We hope that as soon as they are ready, our American colleagues will inform us of the results of their work with Ukraine and Europe," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

President Zelensky is expected to attend a summit in Brussels on Thursday to lobby EU leaders to adopt a plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's defense.