Zelenskyy for first time considered possibility of withdrawing troops from Donbas if Russia does same – WP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has presented a new version of a peace plan that signals the country’s readiness to withdraw troops from the Donbas to create a "demilitarized zone," provided that Russia agrees to do the same.
As Censor.NET reports, The Washington Post writes about this
Ukraine allows for a territorial compromise
These proposals are Zelenskyy’s first step toward any compromise on the issue of territory in the region over which Russia is demanding full control.
The territorial issue remains one of the most contentious in the discussions, as Ukraine says that giving up its land would only push Russia toward a new attack, WP notes.
Russia must agree to the plan
- The 20-point draft voiced by Zelenskyy is far from final and has not been agreed by Russia.
The document clearly states that Kyiv continues to oppose the idea of withdrawing troops from the east, but will consider doing so if Moscow does the same.
As Zelenskyy noted, the goal would be to create a free economic zone that would not be controlled by any military.
"However, any such agreement would require a national referendum, which would be difficult to organize without a ceasefire being observed. It would also require Russia’s consent to this and other points of the document, which remains unlikely," The Washington Post adds.
- As a reminder, on December 24 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared details of the 20 points of a draft basic document on ending the war that is being discussed between Ukraine, the United States, Russia and European partners.
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Bloomberg wrote that Russia will insist on key changes to the latest peace plan on ending the war with Ukraine, previously voiced by Zelenskyy, as it lacks provisions important for the Kremlin.
