Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to wish for the death of Vladimir Putin in his annual Christmas address in Ukraine.
“Today we all have a common dream. We make a wish for all of us: may he perish,” the Ukrainian president said.
The comment is widely believed to be a reference to the Russian president, who continues to bombard Kiev amid ongoing peace talks.
“We pray for peace in Ukraine. We fight for it. We pray for it. We deserve it. Let every Ukrainian family live in peace,” Zelensky continued.
“Hopefully every Ukrainian child will be happy with a gift, smile and retain the childlike faith that is so important in goodness and miracles.”
Zelensky also condemned the “godless” attack on Ukraine, a day after Moscow launched nearly 700 missiles and drones, killing three people and injuring 12 others.
In the Dnepropetrovsk region, a Ukrainian soldier prepares to fire artillery shells at the Russian army with an M777 howitzer – Reuters Chinese
“This is how atheists attack. This is how people who have nothing in common with Christianity or anything human,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader has previously said that Putin “will die soon” and that his death will usher in the end of the conflict.
As Ukraine prepares to celebrate its fourth war Christmas, Zelensky unveiled a new 20-point US-backed peace plan, signaling his willingness to cede territory.
Ukrainians in Kiev attend festive services at St. Michael’s Monastery on Christmas Eve – Elise Blanchard
Although the document is more favorable to Ukraine than the previous 28-point proposal drafted by U.S. envoy Steve Vitkov and Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev, the revised plan still contains significant concessions from Kyiv.
Zelensky said on Wednesday he was ready to relinquish control of the eastern Donbass region to create an “economic free zone” that would serve as a demilitarized buffer zone against Russia.
The United States supports the creation of an “economic free zone” as a compromise between Ukraine and Russia that would require Kyiv to hand over the entire Donbass and several other regions illegally annexed by Moscow.
The 20-point agreement also proposes less stringent limits on the size of Ukraine’s armed forces and provides Kyiv with iron-clad security guarantees in the event of another Russian invasion.