US proposes creation of free economic zone if Ukraine withdraws from Donbas
The United States has proposed that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the parts of the Eastern Donbas region it still controls. In return, the region would become a "free economic zone", president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Thursday.
Ukraine has submitted a 20-point peace plan to the US in an effort to end Russia's war. A central question remains what should happen to the territory currently occupied by Russian forces in Ukraine's east. Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine pull back from the entire Donbas, including areas that remain outside Russian control almost four years into the conflict.
"The Russians want the whole of the Donbas. But we, of course, do not accept this"
Zelensky stressed that Kyiv would not accept such a concession. "The Russians want the whole of the Donbas. But we, of course, do not accept this," he told reporters in Kyiv. "Our position is that it is fair to stand where we stand, meaning on the contact line. There is a discussion between these different positions, and it has not yet been decided."
Questions remain
To resolve this discussion, the US has proposed the establishment of a free economic zone if Ukrainian forces withdraw from the areas of Donetsk still held by Kyiv, Zelensky explained. Russia refers to the territory under discussion as a "demilitarised zone".
But many questions about that proposal remain, Zelensky added. For example, Washington has yet to clarify who would control the zone or guarantee a fair withdrawal process. "If someone withdraws from one side — as they want Ukrainians to do — why doesn’t the other side of the war withdraw the same distance in the other direction?," he asked.
"Whether in the form of elections or a referendum, the Ukrainian people should have a say"
In any case, Zelensky said Ukrainians must be directly involved in the decision to cede part of the country's territory. "Whether in the form of elections or a referendum, the Ukrainian people should have a say," he told reporters.
Ukrainian troops in the Donbas region © PHOTO ROMAN PILIPEY / AFP
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