Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Thursday that the United States has proposed creating a “free economic zone” in parts of the eastern Donbass region from which Ukraine will withdraw under peace talks with Russia.
In wide-ranging comments to reporters, President Zelenskiy said Kiev had presented the United States with an updated version of its peace plan. “It’s not a single document but a series of documents,” many of which need to be finalized. He said the Trump administration wants to have a “full understanding” of the plan’s status by Christmas.
The Ukrainian leader said territorial issues remained unresolved. “The Russians want the entire Donbass, but of course we will not accept this,” he explained. Russia has been fighting in the Donbas region, which straddles Donetsk and Luhansk regions, since 2014. The Russian government is currently trying to secure what it was unable to win through force through peace negotiations mediated by the United States.
“Our position is that it is fair to be where we are, which is on the line of contact,” Zelenskiy said. “Therefore, discussions are taking place between these different positions, but nothing has been decided yet.”
As a compromise, Zelenskiy said the United States was discussing creating a “free economic zone” in the Donbas region from which Ukrainian troops would withdraw. The Russians refer to the area under discussion as the “demilitarized zone,” he added.
While this may break the diplomatic impasse, “serious” questions remain about who will control the territory and how to ensure that the troop withdrawal is fair and mutually beneficial, Zelenskiy said.
“If someone withdraws from one side – as they want the Ukrainians to do – why doesn’t the other side of the war withdraw the same distance in the opposite direction?” he asked. Russia needs to withdraw not only from Ukraine, but also from the land it currently holds, he suggested.
Zelenskiy also questioned who would oversee the “free economic zone”.
“If some troops have to withdraw, and others remain in place, what exactly prevents the further advance of these other forces, namely the Russian army? Or, under the guise of ‘civilians’, from penetrating into the ‘free economic zone’ and seizing it? All this is very serious,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader warned: “It is not true that as Ukraine we will accept this, but when you consult us about a compromise, you must offer a fair compromise.” He said the territorial question would ultimately be answered by “the people of Ukraine” through an election or referendum.
In separate comments, Zelenskiy said the U.S. negotiating team and delegation, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, held “constructive” discussions. NATO chief Mark Rutte also took part in the talks, Zelenskiy said.
European officials told CNN that U.S., European and Ukrainian officials will meet in Paris this weekend for further talks on a peace plan that President Trump hopes will end the nearly four-year war with Russia.
But White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said it was “undecided” whether the Trump administration would send a representative to this weekend’s talks. She said the president has become “extremely frustrated with both sides of the war” and is “tired of meetings just to meet.”
Zelenskyy told reporters that the United States wants the process to be completed as soon as possible. “I think they really wanted, and probably still want, to fully understand our position on this deal by Christmas,” he said.
Asked when a ceasefire would begin, Prime Minister Zelenskiy said it was likely to happen only after the warring sides signed a framework agreement. Ukraine has long called for an immediate ceasefire to test Russia’s commitment to peace, but Zelenskiy acknowledged that “it is a well-known fact that Russia will not agree to a ceasefire unless there is an agreement.”
After speaking with the U.S. delegation, Zelenskiy said security remained important in the next stage of the peace process.
“We have already had a negative experience with the Budapest Memorandum,” he said. He referred to a 1994 agreement in which newly independent Ukraine, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, gave up its nuclear weapons on its territory in exchange for Russia’s promise to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Everyone remembers this, as well as the fact that Russia has repeatedly violated all its other commitments,” Zelenskiy said. “It is therefore important now that this security document provides concrete answers to what Ukrainians are most concerned about: what action will our partners take if Russia decides to invade again?”
