Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that he may order the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region as part of a plan to end the war against Russia. In return, he demands that Moscow also withdraw its forces and agree to transform the area into a fully demilitarized zone, supervised by international forces.
Zelensky placed the future of Donbas at the center of peace negotiations and said the proposal required difficult decisions. According to him, Ukraine and Russia would need to define how far each army would retreat and at what points international forces would act to guarantee compliance with the agreement.
The Ukrainian president also reported that the United States suggested the creation of a “free economic zone” in the region. Zelensky stressed, however, that this model would only be valid if the area remained demilitarized. He stated that the proposal still lacks clear definitions on governance and economic development.
Zelensky calls for referendum to unlock peace negotiations
When dealing with strategic areas, Zelensky stated that the same arrangement could be extended to the surroundings of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control. The Ukrainian leader made it clear that any peace agreement involving occupied territories would need to go through a popular referendum.
The working draft discussed between the United States and Ukraine also provides for the withdrawal of Russian forces from the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Kharkiv. Zelensky said that international forces could occupy specific points along the contact line to monitor the implementation of the agreement and avoid new clashes.
Russia has so far not signaled agreement with any territorial withdrawal. Asked about the proposal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would make its decision based on reports presented by presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met with US representatives in Florida last weekend.
