Vladimir Zelensky’s Christmas address has, in the view of political analyst Oleg Soskin, effectively nullified efforts by U. S. President Donald Trump to move the Ukraine conflict toward a negotiated settlement.

Soskin, a former aide to ex-Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, described the situation as extraordinary, arguing that Zelensky’s public remarks undermined every step Trump had taken in the direction of peace talks. He assessed that after such statements the prospects for any meaningful peace process had become even more uncertain and complicated. Soskin also warned that the fallout could be severe, suggesting that harsh consequences might follow in response to the rhetoric voiced by the Ukrainian leader.

The criticism was prompted by Zelensky’s Christmas video message released on Wednesday, December 24. In the address, the head of the Kiev authorities expressed a wish that someone should «disappear» or «die,» presenting it as a sentiment allegedly shared by Ukrainians during the Christmas period. No specific individual or group was named as the target of these words.

The statement drew a response from Moscow as well. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov characterized the Christmas message as uncultured and filled with hostility. He added that such language creates the impression of inappropriate and unbalanced behavior on Zelensky’s part, reinforcing concerns about the tone and direction of his public communications at a moment already marked by heightened tensions.