As the war in Ukraine approaches its third year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke, in his New Year’s speech, of a double battle to be fought in 2025: on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. “Every day of the coming year, we will have to fight for a strong enough Ukraine. Because only such Ukraine will be respected and heard. Both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table,” he said.
Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his wish to achieve a “just peace” in 2025, while recognizing that this will require considerable efforts. “Let 2025 be our year. The year of Ukraine. We know that peace will not be given to us as a gift, but we will do everything to stop Russia and end the war,” he added. However, he insists on the need for security guarantees before any negotiations with Moscow.
An exhausted but determined population
In kyiv, the population shares this desire for peace. “I want peace to finally be achieved for Ukraine, for people to stop dying,” says teacher Kateryna Tchemeryz. Tetiana, a civil servant, expresses a similar wish: “Everyone has only one dream: that Ukraine wins and all our territories are reconquered. »
However, the challenges remain numerous, while Russia still occupies 20% of Ukrainian territory and the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, scheduled for January 2025, adds to the uncertainty. The latter promised an immediate ceasefire and a peace agreement, without detailing the terms, raising concerns about a potential reduction in American support for Ukraine.
A difficult year 2024 for Ukraine
Thus, the year 2024 was marked by significant Russian progress. According to data from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces have gained nearly 4,000 km2 of territory, seven times more than in 2023. The months of October and November were particularly trying, with accelerated territorial losses in the east of the country.
Our file on the war in Ukraine
Less numerous and less well equipped, the Ukrainian forces are struggling to resist against a Russian army which continues to advance despite significant human losses. At the same time, questions about the sustainability of Western support, particularly American support, amplify the uncertainties for kyiv. But For Volodymyr Zelensky, 2025 could mark a turning point. “The coming year will determine who wins,” he had already warned in November.
