LONDON -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address on Wednesday that Russia is preparing "the coming year as a year of war," despite ongoing U.S.-brokered peace talks to end Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin sent "signals" of Moscow's aggressive intent in remarks made on Wednesday, saying the bellicose comments were intended "not only for us.""It is important that partners see this," Zelenskyy added."And it is important that they not only see it, but also respond, in particular partners in the United States of America, who often say that Russia supposedly wants to end the war.
But entirely different rhetoric and different signals are coming from Russia."Zelenskyy said an upcoming summit in Brussels to discuss the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine was "important," and that the outcome of the talks "must be such that Russia feels that its desire to continue the war next year makes no sense, because Ukraine will have support.This depends one hundred percent on Europe, it is Europe that must make this choice."Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels on Thursday morning.Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov attend an expanded meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry Board at the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow, December 17, 2025.Mikhail Tereshchenko/Sputnik via AFP via Getty ImagesZelenskyy says no consensus reached on territory after US-Ukraine peace talksEuropean leader stressed the significance of Thursday's meeting.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that either the European Union would agree on "money [for Ukraine] today or blood tomorrow."European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post to X, "We have one ultimate goal: peace for Ukraine through strength."Zelenskyy also said that more talks are expected between U.S.
and Ukrainian negotiators in the coming week.Zelenskyy's comments were prompted by remarks made ...