President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has wished 'death' on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as WW3 tensions continue to rise across Europe.
War has been raging in Ukraine for nearly four years now since Russia first invaded back in 2022, and despite several attempts at peace talks between world leaders including Donald Trump, Putin has been consistent in his demands for peace, and a deal seems no closer.
The 73-year-old has also been accused in recent times of testing NATO's resolve for a world war, with Russian drones shot down in Poland earlier this year, which prompted a serious warning from prime minister Donald Tusk.
He said: "We will take the decision to shoot down flying objects when they violate our territory and fly over Poland - there is absolutely no discussion about that."
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Russia was also accused of violating Estonia's airspace, while Putin propagandists also aren't helping matters as they continue to threaten war with the rest of the world.
But while geopolitical tensions are nearly at an all-time high, Ukraine remain the biggest victims of the war and Zelenskyy made his feelings towards Putin pretty clear when delivering a speech on Christmas Eve.
He said: “My dear people, since ancient times, Ukrainians believed that on Christmas night, the heavens open.
“And if you tell them your dream, it will surely come true. Today, we all have one dream. And we have one wish for everyone: ‘May he perish,’ as everyone says to themselves.”
He certainly seemed to making a nod towards Putin with that sentence, but it's clear that he truly just wants peace for his country and its citizens.
The president added: “But when we turn to God, of course, we ask for something greater.
“We ask for peace for Ukraine. We fight for it. And we pray for it. And we deserve it.”
Zelensky also expressed hope that there could still be an end to this awful conflict.
He added: “That there may be a victory of peace. That there may be us. And that there may be Ukraine.”
While we famously saw a Christmas truce between English and German soldiers back in 1914, there was no sign of any such agreement between Russia and Ukraine, as the former delivered another vicious attack earlier this week, with over 600 drones and 30 missiles deployed.
Putin has long made it clear that Donbas remains key to any potential peace plan, with Ukraine unwilling to hand it over, but Russia has since captured most of Luhansk and about 70 per cent of Donetsk, the two areas which make up the region.
But there still remains a chance that a war with the rest of the Europe could be on the cards, particularly if 'two red lines' are crossed.
Topics: Russia, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, World News, Christmas
James Moorhouse