Apparently referring to Putin without naming him, Zelenskyy said, “May he perish.” (AP) Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his Christmas Eve address, appeared to wish for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s death without naming him as he condemned Moscow’s ongoing strikes on Kyiv.
In his traditional address to the Ukrainians, Zelenskyy said his companions had one wish as “the heavens open” this night and it was the death of Putin.
“Since ancient times, Ukrainians have believed that, on Christmas night, the heavens open. And if you tell them your dream, it will surely come true. Today, we all share one dream. And we make one wish – for all of us,” Zelenskyy said in a video message posted on X.
Merry Christmas! pic.twitter.com/okj9Yr1bFe
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 24, 2025
Zelenskyy added that Ukrainians wish for every family to live in harmony and every child rejoice in gifts, faith in goodness, smiles and miracles. Apparently referring to Putin without naming him, Zelenskyy said, “May he perish,’ each of us may think to ourselves. But when we turn to God, of course, we ask for something greater.”
No Christmas ceasefire
Since the war broke out in February 2022, Russia has utilised the period of Christmas to launch a severe attack on Ukraine instead of agreeing to a ceasefire. During the first Christmas (December 2022) when the war broke out, Russia launched an all out missile and drone attack targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and causing civilian casualties.
Similarly in 2023, Russian drones targeted Kherson and killed at least four people in the region. In 2024, Russia launched more than 70 missiles and over 100 drones on 25 December, killing at least one person.
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Talks on peace plan
Further providing an update on the ongoing talks of peace plan to end the nearly four year war, Zelenskyy said on Thursday he he spoke with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner for about an hour on how to end the war.
“It was a really good conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed. There are some new ideas on how to bring the real peace closer, and it concerns formats, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline,” Zelenskyy said, Reuters reported.
(with inputs from Reuters)
