CaliToday (19/12/2025): While Washington touts "tremendous progress" in peace negotiations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a stark, urgent warning to the West: do not be fooled by the diplomatic calm. According to Kyiv, Moscow is not preparing for peace, but rather gearing up to make 2026 a definitive "year of war."
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| Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pictured during a press conference with Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor, on Dec. 15, 2025, in Berlin, Germany. |
In a blistering statement released Wednesday, Zelenskyy sought to shatter the optimism radiating from the Trump White House, pointing to fresh intelligence and "bellicose signals" emanating from the Kremlin.
1. The Warning: A Diplomatic "Mask"
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) and addressing his nation in a video address, Zelenskyy argued that Russia’s participation in recent talks is merely a smokescreen.
"Today, we again heard signals from Moscow that they are preparing to make next year a year of war," Zelenskyy asserted. "This Russian mindset... serves to merely mask its desire to destroy Ukraine... and the desire to legitimize Russia’s theft of our land."
The Ukrainian President’s core argument is that Putin is using the language of diplomacy to buy time while issuing official orders to his army for a massive renewed offensive. Zelenskyy warned that if the West accepts this "case history of madness," the threat will expand beyond Ukraine’s borders to other European nations that Russian hardliners view as "historical lands."
2. The View from Moscow: "Historical Lands"
Validating Zelenskyy's fears, Russian President Vladimir Putin struck an uncompromising tone during a Defense Ministry board meeting on Wednesday. While paying lip service to diplomacy, Putin made it clear that Russia’s objectives remains absolute.
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| In this photo distributed by the state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during an expanded meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry Board at the National Defense Control Center in Moscow on Dec. 17, 2025. |
"The goals of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved," Putin declared, according to a Kremlin transcript. He issued an ultimatum: either the West engages in "substantive dialogue" (capitulation to Russian demands), or Russia will take what it wants by force.
"Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means. The task of creating and expanding a security buffer zone will also be carried out consistently." — Vladimir Putin
This rhetoric regarding "historical lands" suggests ambitions that may extend well beyond the current frontlines in the Donbas.
3. The Washington Disconnect
A significant rift in perception is emerging between Kyiv and Washington.
The Trump Administration: A White House official, speaking to Fox News Digital, projected confidence, stating that the President’s team has made "tremendous progress" and believes peace is "closer now than we have ever been."
The Reality Gap: Zelenskyy’s plea is specifically directed at these US partners. He argues that the "signals coming from Russia are the exact opposite" of what Washington believes, urging the US to stop listening to what Russia says and look at what its military is doing.
4. Calls for "Peace Through Strength"
As the diplomatic track faces skepticism, calls for a harder military stance are growing within the US Republican party. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a staunch supporter of Ukraine, argued that Putin will only negotiate if he faces devastating losses.
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| Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., arrives for a House Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. |
In a direct appeal to the administration, Bacon posted on X:
"Again… the U.S. should send 200 long-range and extremely accurate cruise missiles to Ukraine. Maybe then, Putin will get serious and seek peace. Putin started this war, and he’ll stop this war once he realizes he cannot win."
The Bottom Line
As 2025 draws to a close, the trajectory of the conflict hangs in the balance. While the White House hopes for a handshake deal, Kyiv is bracing for a winter of survival, convinced that without immediate financial measures (seizing Russian assets) and "real protection," the new year will bring not peace, but total war.