US proposes demilitarised zone without requiring Russia to leave Donetsk and Luhansk regions, - FT

The latest US proposals for a "peace plan" do not require Russia to withdraw its troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are planned to be included in the demilitarised zone.

This was reported by the Financial Times, according to Censor.NET.

A Ukrainian official familiar with the final draft of the proposals said that the document does not require Russia to leave the controlled territories. Instead, the United States insists that Ukrainian forces must leave their positions in Donetsk region.

The initial US "peace plan"

Earlier, Donald Trump's initial 28-point plan proposed the creation of a "neutral demilitarised buffer zone" after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas. According to Ukrainian officials who participated in the negotiations, the US insists on a model similar to the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, which has existed for over 72 years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sees the demilitarised zone as a potential way to freeze the conflict, giving Russia time to regroup before a possible new offensive.

What preceded it?

Earlier it was reported that on Saturday, 6 December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a two-hour telephone conversation with Donald Trump's advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The conversation focused on territorial issues and security guarantees for Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the United States, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation remain at odds over the issue of territories, which is being discussed as part of the US "peace plan."
Later, the president announced that
Ukraine had received a proposal from its partners to exchange part of the temporarily occupied Donetsk region and the ZNPP for territories that the Russians had not yet captured. Kyiv does not support this idea.