No credible evidence supports the claim that Zelensky predicted the war would end by Christmas. The "by Christmas" timeline originated from Trump and U.S. envoys, not Zelensky. His actual statement, per Ukrainska Pravda, was that the U.S. side "wanted full understanding by Christmas about where we are with this agreement" — a reference to negotiation status, not a war-ending prediction. Zelensky separately suggested the war might end in 2026, and the conflict remained ongoing as of April 2026.