The proposal pushes Washington and Kyiv closer to a jointly agreed formula to end the war. What we know on day 1,401
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end Russia’s war, if Moscow also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarised zone monitored by international forces. The proposal offered another potential compromise on control of the Donbas region, which has been a major sticking point in peace negotiations. Washington and Kyiv have edged closer to a jointly agreed formula to end the war amid continuing uncertainty over Moscow’s response. Regardless of whether it is accepted by Moscow, it marks a success for Kyiv in rewriting an earlier US draft that had been criticised as a Kremlin wishlist. Zelenskyy said he expected US negotiators to be in contact with the Kremlin on Wednesday.
A majority of Russians expect the war in Ukraine to end in 2026, a state pollster said, in a sign that the Kremlin could be testing public reaction to a possible peace settlement as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict intensify. Officials said 70% of the 1,600 respondents saw 2026 as a more “successful” year for Russia than this year, while for 55% that hope was linked to a possible end to what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
