Peace will not be given to us as a gift but we will do everything to stop Russia
On the eve of 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stood before a nation entering its third year of war and declared that peace would not be received but reclaimed. His words arrived against a sobering backdrop: Russia had seized nearly 4,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2024, seven times its gains the year before, while the question of continued American support under an incoming Trump administration cast a long shadow over the year ahead. In severing the last gas transit agreement with Moscow on January 1st, Ukraine made plain that it intends to fight this year not only on the battlefield, but on every front where leverage remains.
- Russia's territorial advances in 2024 accelerated to their fastest pace since the invasion's chaotic opening weeks, with October and November alone consuming over 1,300 square kilometers of Ukrainian land.
- Zelenskyy's New Year's address was as much a diplomatic signal as a domestic one — an attempt to hold American commitment in place before the Trump administration could reconsider the terms of its support.
- Ukraine's decision to halt Russian gas transit through its pipelines on January 1st severed one of the last economic threads connecting Kyiv to Moscow, a symbolic and material break with profound consequences for European energy markets.
- The grinding asymmetry between Russia's industrial capacity and Ukraine's war-weary resources has grown more visible, raising urgent questions about how long Ukraine can sustain its defensive posture without significant allied reinforcement.
- As 2025 begins, the trajectory of the conflict remains tilted toward Russian momentum, and whether Zelenskyy's declaration that this will be 'Ukraine's year' holds meaning depends on decisions being made far beyond Kyiv's control.
As midnight approached in Kyiv on New Year's Eve, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed a nation on day 1,043 of Russia's invasion with a declaration of defiant intent. "May 2025 be our year," he said — not as a wish, but as a vow. Peace, he made clear, would not arrive as a gift. It would have to be taken through sustained military effort and unrelenting diplomatic pressure.
Zelenskyy's address carried a dual purpose: steeling his own population for another year of sacrifice while sending a message to international partners, particularly the incoming Trump administration, that Ukraine remained committed and expected the same in return. He spoke of conversations with both outgoing President Biden and president-elect Trump, expressing confidence that Washington would want to see Putin's aggression ended and had the means to help make it so.
The same day, a quieter but equally significant break occurred: Russian gas stopped flowing through Ukrainian pipelines to Europe entirely. The five-year transit agreement signed in 2019 — which had allowed Moscow to profit from Ukrainian infrastructure even as it waged war — expired without renewal. Zelenskyy had refused any extension. The halt was a clean severance of one of the last economic ties binding Ukraine to its aggressor.
The military picture framing these gestures was stark. Russia had advanced nearly 4,000 square kilometers across Ukraine in 2024 — seven times its territorial gains in 2023. The autumn months were especially brutal: October and November together saw Ukraine lose more ground than in any comparable period since the invasion's opening chaos in March 2022. December brought a slight slowdown, but the overall momentum was unmistakable.
Behind those numbers lay a deepening asymmetry. Russia, with its larger population and industrial base, had found a sustainable rhythm of advance. Ukraine, smaller and exhausted, faced the prospect of defending against an enemy that could absorb losses and keep pushing. The uncertainty surrounding American military aid under the new administration only sharpened the stakes.
As Ukraine crossed into 2025, the year ahead would test whether Zelenskyy's declaration could be made real — or whether the momentum would continue to favor the side that had not yet chosen to stop.
As midnight approached in Kyiv on New Year's Eve, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stood before his nation with a declaration that carried the weight of nearly three years of war. "May 2025 be our year," he said, his words arriving just before the clock turned over to mark day 1,043 of Russia's invasion. The message was clear: Ukraine would not wait for peace to arrive as a gift. Instead, the country would spend the coming year doing everything in its power to stop the Russian advance and bring the conflict to an end.
Zelenskyy's address reflected a president trying to project resolve while navigating profound uncertainty. He spoke of conversations with outgoing US President Joe Biden and president-elect Donald Trump, expressing confidence that the incoming American administration would want to end Putin's aggression and had the capacity to do so. The Ukrainian leader acknowledged that peace would not simply be handed to his country—it would have to be seized through sustained military effort and diplomatic pressure. His words seemed designed to steel his population for another year of sacrifice while signaling to international partners that Ukraine remained committed to the fight.
The timing of Zelenskyy's address coincided with a stark symbolic moment: on January 1st, Russian gas stopped flowing through Ukrainian pipelines to Europe entirely. A five-year transit agreement signed in 2019 had allowed Moscow to pipe natural gas across Ukrainian territory to European markets, generating revenue for Kyiv even as Russia waged war against it. Zelenskyy had made clear that no extension would be negotiated. The halt marked a clean break—Ukraine severing one of the last remaining economic ties binding it to its aggressor.
Yet the military picture Zelenskyy faced as he entered 2025 was sobering. According to analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War, Russia had advanced nearly 4,000 square kilometers across Ukrainian territory in 2024—seven times the territorial gains Moscow had made in 2023. The acceleration had been particularly brutal in autumn. October saw Russian forces capture 610 square kilometers; November brought 725 square kilometers lost. Those two months represented the largest monthly territorial losses Ukraine had suffered since the chaotic early weeks of the invasion in March 2022. December had shown some slowdown, with Russian advances dropping to 465 square kilometers, but the overall trajectory was unmistakable: Moscow was pouring resources into the invasion and making steady progress.
The territorial losses reflected a grinding asymmetry in resources and manpower that had become more pronounced as 2024 wore on. Russia, with its larger population and industrial base, could sustain losses and keep advancing. Ukraine, smaller and war-weary, faced the prospect of defending against an enemy that seemed to have found a sustainable rhythm of attack. Hanging over all of this was the question of American support. Under the Trump administration about to take office, the scale and nature of US military aid to Kyiv remained uncertain. Zelenskyy's New Year's message was partly an attempt to shore up that commitment before it could be questioned or withdrawn.
As Ukraine entered 2025, the country faced a year that would likely determine whether Zelenskyy's declaration—that this would be Ukraine's year—could become reality, or whether the momentum would continue to favor the Russian advance. The symbolic gestures of New Year's Eve speeches and severed gas pipelines mattered, but they would be measured against the harder metric of territory held and lost, and against the willingness of Ukraine's allies to sustain their support for a conflict with no clear endpoint in sight.
Citas Notables
May 2025 be our year. 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.— President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, New Year's Eve address
I have no doubt that the new American president wants and will be able to bring peace and end Putin's aggression.— President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the incoming Trump administration
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When Zelenskyy says peace won't be given as a gift, what does he mean by that exactly?
He's acknowledging a hard truth—that Russia won't simply agree to leave, and the West won't force them to without Ukraine proving it can keep fighting. Peace, in his view, has to be earned through military strength and endurance.
But Russia gained nearly 4,000 square kilometers in 2024. How does Ukraine fight for peace from a position of losing ground?
That's the central tension. Zelenskyy is betting that if Ukraine can hold on long enough and inflict enough cost on Russia, the calculus changes. But the numbers suggest time may not be on Ukraine's side.
Why did he mention Trump specifically in his New Year's address?
Because Trump's position on the war is genuinely unclear, and Zelenskyy needs to believe—or at least convince his people—that the new administration will stay committed. It's partly reassurance, partly a gentle reminder that Ukraine still needs American support.
The gas pipeline shutting down on the same day—is that symbolic or strategic?
Both. Symbolically, it's Ukraine saying we're done with any economic entanglement with Russia. Strategically, it removes a revenue stream for Moscow and closes a vulnerability. But it also costs Ukraine money it desperately needs.
What does "our year" actually mean if Russia is advancing faster than ever?
It's aspirational language in the face of grim facts. Zelenskyy is trying to reframe 2025 as a turning point—maybe through negotiation, maybe through a shift in Western support, maybe through Ukrainian resilience. But he's also acknowledging that the outcome isn't predetermined.