New Delhi, Jan. 3 -- Zelenskyy calls a deal "90% ready" but rejects a "weak" settlement; Putin vows victory as Washington's envoys press security guarantees and deconfliction plans.

Moscow entered the first hours of 2026 with an air-defense alert and a claim that Ukrainian drones had again tested Russia's capital, while Ukraine reported that Russian drones struck homes and critical facilities in the Black Sea port of Odesa, injuring civilians.

The exchange, part tactical, part symbolic, came as US President Donald Trump's administration pressed ahead with a diplomatic drive that US officials have described in the language of security assurances and "deconfliction," even as both militaries continue to show they can reach deep into the ot...