Zelenskyy’s Christmas wish: that Putin dies, and something bigger: peace

In his Christmas Eve speech, the President of Ukraine condemned Russia’s ongoing attacks and gave voice to Ukrainians’ wish: that Putin “perish” and the heavens open to receive him. However, Russia maintains the tradition of launching attacks on Ukraine during Christmas.

In the traditional speech addressed to Ukrainians on Christmas Eve, the president Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his compatriots have one wish when “the heavens open” tonight — the death of the Russian presidentVladimir Putin.

“Since ancient times, Ukrainians have believed that, On Christmas Eve, the heavens open. And, if we tell them our dream, it will come true. Today, we all share a dream. And we make a wish — for all of us,” Zelenskyy said.

“May he perish, each of us may think to ourselves”, declared the Ukrainian leader, in a reference that, according to , is widely understood as directed at the Russian leader.

“But when we turn to God, naturally we ask for something greater. We ask peace for Ukraine. We fight for it. And we pray for her. And we deserve it,” he said, adding that Ukrainians want every family to live in harmony, and for every child to be happy with gifts, smiles and faith in goodness and miracles.

Since launching the full-scale invasion in early 2022, Russia has used the Christmas period to trigger large-scale attacks against Ukraine, instead of accepting ceasefiresnote to .

On December 25, 2022, during Ukraine’s first Christmas in the midst of total war, Moscow launched a massive attack with missiles and drones cagainst energy infrastructures, causing widespread blackouts and civilian casualties.

Little oordered his army to observe a ceasefire between January 6 and 7, 2023, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day according to the Julian calendar, followed by some Eastern Orthodox churches.

However, the fighting continued and, at noon on January 7Ukrainian authorities reported at least three dead and 14 injured following Russian attacks in at least seven regions.

In 2023, drone strikes killed four people in Kherson, just as Ukraine officially celebrated Christmas on December 25th for the first timeafter having changed from the traditional Eastern Orthodox date of January 7th.

Last year, Russia launched more than 70 missiles and more than 100 drones on December 25, killing at least one person and leaving half a million people without heat in the Kharkiv region.

“For the fourth consecutive yearthe fourth year of the full-scale war for independence, there were attempts to take all this away from us,” Zelenskyy said Wednesday night.

“E This is precisely what we are defending todayr: our land, our families, that much-desired feeling of peace and calm in our own home”, he stated. “When we are warm. When we have a tasty meal. When we are together. And, despite everything, today we are together too.”

“And that’s how it will be today, because it doesn’t matter if we are apart or face to face, Ukrainians are together,” Zelenskyy added.

Drone attacks continue

The Ukrainian president’s speech comes on the same day he revealed details of the , stating that Ukraine and the U.S. reached consensus on several key points with a view to putting an end to the war, which has lasted for almost four years.

However, territorial control remains unresolved in the eastern regions of Ukraine and the management of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

The future of the Ukrainian eastern regions of Donetsk e Luhanskknown together as Donbass, remains at the center of the talks, in what Zelenskyy, when discussing the plan, described as “the most difficult point”.

A Russiancontinues to insist on maximalist demandsarguing that Ukraine cede remaining territory in Donbas which Moscow has not yet captured — an ultimatum that Kyiv has rejected.

Moscow was expectedo responded to the 20-point plan on Wednesday. O spokesman for Putin, Dmitry Peskovsaid that the Kremlin will “take into account” what Washington communicated to Putin “to formulate our future positions”.

However, Russia launched 131 drones against Ukraine on Christmas Eveaccording to the Ukrainian Air Force. Two people died and 35 were injured in several regions, including Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and Sumy, regional authorities reported.

On Wednesday night, Zelenskyy expressed hope that kindness and truth will prevail. “May there be a victory of peace. May we exist. And let Ukraine exist”.