Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States had put forward a plan for Ukrainian forces to pull out of areas of its Donetsk region that it still controls in favor of a "free economic zone" that Russian forces would not advance into.
The trade-off solution would see Ukraine give up the appoximately 30% of the province it currently holds, as demanded by Russia, but that territory would then become a special economic zone, referred to as a "demilitarized zone" by Moscow, Zelensky told reporters Thursday.
"They see that Ukrainian troops are leaving the territory of Donetsk Oblast, and the compromise seems to be that Russian troops will not enter this territory," said Zelensky who stressed that any territorial concessions to end the war would have to be put to the Ukrainian people, either through elections or a referendum.
Zelensky also said both armies should withdraw by the same distance, arguing that a unilateral withdrawal by the Ukrainian side was not reasonable and would put Ukraine at a disadvantage.
Related
