The idea is an apparent alternative to territorial concessions being demanded by Moscow, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has staunchly refused.
Zelensky said Thursday that Ukraine presented the U.S. with a revised peace plan after the Trump administration proposed creating a "free economic zone" in parts of eastern Donbas. The U.S. wants a "full understanding" of the plan by Christmas, Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader told reporters that questions of territory remain unresolved because the Russians "want the whole of the Donbas, but we, of course, do not accept this."
He added: "Our position is that it is fair to stand where we stand — that is, on the contact line. Therefore, there is a discussion between these different positions, and it has not yet been decided."
As a compromise, Zelensky said U.S. negotiators discussed creating a demilitarized "free economic zone" in the parts of the Donbas from which Ukrainian and Russian troops would withdraw.
The U.S. has been pressuring Ukraine to cede land in exchange for peace with Russia, which has been fighting in the Donbas region since 2014 and fully invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
President Trump has turned up the heat on Zelensky in recent days, pushing him to agree to a U.S.-authored peace plan. An initial version of the plan heavily favored the Kremlin's demands, but a revised version — hammered out in talks between American and Ukrainian negotiators — was rejected by Russian President Vladimir Putin in talks last week.
In recent days, Zelensky has huddled with European leaders to edit the latest proposal drafted by Trump's top envoys and on Thursday spoke with a U.S. team that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Until now, Zelensky has refused to cede Ukrainian territory as part of any deal. He said that "serious" questions remain about who would manage and police the demilitarized zone and how to make sure troop withdrawals were reciprocated by the Russians.
Read the full report at thehill.com.
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