Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered one of his most pointed holiday messages yet, appearing to wish for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a Christmas Eve address shared on X. Speaking as Russia intensified strikes across Ukraine, Zelenskyy underscored that despite relentless bombardment, Moscow cannot break the country’s unity or spirit.

In the video, the Ukrainian leader said, “Despite all the suffering that Russia has brought, it is not capable of occupying or bombing what matters most. That is our Ukrainian heart, our faith in one another, and our unity.”

Without naming Putin, he added: “Today, we all share one dream. And we have one wish for everyone: ‘May he perish,’ as everyone says to themselves.”

He followed the remark with a plea for peace, saying Ukrainians continue to fight and pray for an end to the conflict, insisting, “We deserve it.”

Intensified Russian attacks on Christmas eve

Zelenskyy’s remarks came only hours after Russia unleashed a fresh wave of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, targeting power infrastructure and densely populated areas. The attacks killed at least three people earlier in the week and caused widespread blackouts.

Describing the severity of the assault, Zelenskyy said: “On the eve of Christmas, the Russians once again showed who they truly are. Massive shelling, hundreds of ‘shaheds’, ballistic missiles, Kinzhal strikes – everything was used. This is how the godless strike.”

Russian strikes also hit Kharkiv and Sumy on Sunday, injuring at least one person and heightening tensions as Ukrainians marked the holiday under continued bombardment.

A new 20-point plan and potential troop withdrawal

During a separate briefing with journalists, Zelenskyy unveiled elements of a 20-point proposal aimed at ending the nearly four-year-old war. In a notable shift, he said Ukraine could pull its forces back from parts of the eastern Donbas region — but only if Russia also withdraws and the territory is later transformed into a demilitarised zone overseen by international monitors.

This is the most explicit signal yet of Kyiv’s willingness to consider concessions in the region, long at the centre of deadlocked peace negotiations. A similar arrangement, he said, could apply to the area surrounding the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Zelensky insisted that any final peace settlement would require approval through a nationwide referendum.

Russia yet to signal willingness to withdraw

Moscow has not indicated it would consider retreating from territories it currently holds. Russian forces control nearly all of Luhansk and around 70 per cent of Donetsk — the two provinces that form the Donbas, which the Kremlin insists Ukraine must relinquish. Kyiv has repeatedly rejected the ultimatum.

Meanwhile, American diplomats have engaged in separate discussions with Kyiv and Moscow after U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a controversial peace proposal last month, a plan widely viewed as favouring Russian interests. Ukraine and European allies have since pushed to shift the proposal closer to Ukraine’s terms.

Message of unity amid war

In his address to Ukrainians, Zelensky reflected on longstanding Christmas traditions and the hope that wishes made on the holy night may come true. He reiterated the country’s collective longing for peace, saying: “We ask for peace for Ukraine. We fight for it. And we pray for it. And we deserve it.”

The president also expressed confidence that truth would triumph, adding: “That there may be a victory of peace. That there may be us. And that there may be Ukraine.”

Despite families being separated by war, Zelensky stressed that Ukrainians remain bound emotionally and spiritually. True joy, he said, lies not in festive symbols but in the resilience and shared light within the nation.

“In the skies of Kyiv, Zakarpattia, Odesa, or Kupiansk – wherever they are, Ukrainians are together today. They celebrate Christmas on the same date as one big family,” he said.