Ukraine presented a revised 20-point version of the plan to Washington earlier this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Dec. 11 that the issue of territory remains a major sticking point in the negotiations with Washington over the proposed peace plan.
Ukraine presented the United States with a revised 20-point framework to end the war between Kyiv and Moscow on Dec. 10.
The Ukrainian leader said the United States is offering to create a “free economic zone” in the Ukraine-controlled parts of the eastern Donbas, which Russia has demanded Ukraine give up, as a compromise to try and end the hostilities.
“The Americans are searching for some format. They have been discussing the issue of a ‘free economic zone.’ The Americans call it that, and the Russians call it a ‘demilitarized zone,’” he said, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
“They see Ukrainian troops leaving the territory of Donetsk Oblast, and the supposed compromise is that Russian troops would not enter this part of Donetsk Oblast. They do not know who would govern this territory, which they are already calling a ‘free economic zone’ or a ‘demilitarized zone.’ This is more or less how the compromise vision of the United States looks at the moment,” he added.
Zelenskyy went on to say that Ukraine may not accept this proposal, because “when you talk to us about compromise, you must offer a fair compromise.”
“We need to continue the conversation and try to find answers to all the questions in a way that makes everything more reasonable,” he said, adding that “as in all wars, there must be some form of monitoring.”
He further stated that there was still no agreement on the land issue and that Ukrainians should get to vote in a referendum on any potential concession of territory.
Meanwhile, in Washington, the White House has said that U.S. President Donald Trump is “sick” of the frequent meetings with negotiators from both Kyiv and Moscow.
“The president is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war, and he is sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting,” Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press conference at the White House on Dec. 11.
By Guy Birchall
