Neither Ukraine nor Russia are enthusiastic about idea of creating free economic zone in Donbas, - Zelenskyy
The United States is proposing to create a so-called free economic zone as a buffer in the Donbas to end the Russian-Ukrainian war, but Ukraine is cautious about the idea.
This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Bloomberg, according to Censor.NET.
Territorial issues
"Neither side is interested in the idea of a free economic zone—neither the Russians nor us," Zelenskyy said, although he did not rule out such a possibility.
According to him, Kyiv and Moscow have different views on the issue of territories.
"And the agreement was as follows: let's come back with a vision of how this might look at the next meeting," the president clarified.
The preliminary round of talks earlier this month between Russian, Ukrainian, and American officials in Abu Dhabi was constructive, Zelenskyy said, adding that the war could end within a few months if the talks are conducted in a spirit of goodwill.
Who should control Donbas?
- The Russian authorities are demanding that Ukraine withdraw all its troops from the Donetsk region. Moscow wants to gain complete control over the region. At the same time, Ukraine insists that the ceasefire should be based on the current line of demarcation.
In discussions about who controls the buffer zone, the US must clearly state its position, the Ukrainian president stressed.
"If this is our territory—and it is our territory—then the country to which it belongs must control it," Zelenskyy added.
