UKRAINE lost significantly more territory to Russia in 2024 compared to 2023, according to an AFP analysis, intensifying concerns about reduced U.S. military and political aid when Donald Trump assumes the presidency.
The Biden administration has rushed to provide nearly $6 billion in military and financial support to Kyiv before the Republican leader, who has promised to end the war within “24 hours,” takes office in January.
Trump’s proposed resolution could force Ukraine to concede Russian-held territories in exchange for peace.
ZELENSKY CALLS FOR RESILIENCE
In a New Year’s address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of continued resistance.
“Every day in the coming year, I, and all of us, must fight for a Ukraine that is strong enough. Only such a Ukraine is respected and heard—both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s return, Zelensky expressed cautious optimism, saying he believes the new U.S. president is capable of ending the conflict and countering Russian aggression.
PUTIN PRAISES RUSSIAN FORCES
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his own New Year’s Eve speech, avoided direct references to the war but commended Russian soldiers for their “courage and bravery” in defending their homeland.
Defense Minister Andrei Belousov echoed this sentiment, honoring fallen soldiers who had died battling what the Kremlin has labeled “Nazism.”
ESCALATING MILITARY ACTIONS
As the war grinds on, Russia has maintained near-daily airstrikes on Ukraine since February 2022, targeting both civilian and military infrastructure.
Ukraine has intensified retaliatory strikes inside Russian territory, including a recent drone attack that caused a fuel spill and fire at an oil depot in western Russia.
HOPES FOR PEACE IN 2025
In Kyiv, citizens expressed a collective yearning for peace. “I want people to stop dying, for all our soldiers to return home,” said teacher Kateryna Chemeryz.
Others, like civil servant Tetiana, shared a singular hope: “That Ukraine will win, and all our territories are regained.”
As Zelensky works to strengthen ties with the incoming U.S. administration, Ukrainians remain wary of what a peace deal might entail.
While some fear the loss of vital support, others believe Ukraine must chart its path independently of international politics.
