The United States has proposed a plan for Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas region, with Washington envisioning a “free economic zone” in the areas Kyiv currently controls, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday.
US Proposal for Donbas Withdrawal
The US previously suggested Kyiv relinquish control of parts of Donbas to Russia, but Zelenskyy stated that the current proposal involves a Ukrainian troop withdrawal without a corresponding Russian advance into the territory. “Who will govern this territory, which they are calling a ‘free economic zone’ or a ‘demilitarised zone’ – they don’t know,” Zelenskyy told journalists in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy expressed concerns about the fairness of the plan without guarantees preventing Russian troops from taking over the zone after a Ukrainian withdrawal. He questioned what would prevent Russia from simply disguising troops as civilians and occupying the area, stating a fair compromise is needed if Ukraine were to consider the proposal.
Under the current US plan, Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas, where Russia is advancing, while frontlines in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions would be frozen. Russia would also relinquish control of some smaller territories it currently holds.
Pressure from Trump and Ongoing Negotiations
Zelenskyy has faced pressure from former President Donald Trump to accept the US peace plan. Trump has recently criticized Zelenskyy, claiming he has not read the draft plan and questioning his legitimacy, suggesting Ukraine should hold an election.
Ukraine’s negotiating team submitted a revised plan to Washington on Wednesday, with territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remaining key sticking points. Zelenskyy emphasized the plan is still under development and subject to ongoing revisions.
The success of any agreement hinges on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is genuinely willing to negotiate or is using talks to buy time while continuing military advances.
NATO Concerns and European Support
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned in Berlin that allowing Putin to succeed in Ukraine would increase the risk of war in Europe, stating the continent has been “quietly complacent” regarding the threat from Russia. He suggested a potential conflict could be “on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured” and called for increased defense spending.
Rutte is among European leaders working to maintain US support for Ukraine amid growing impatience from the Trump administration for a peace deal.
Zelenskyy held a video call Thursday with approximately 30 leaders from nations supporting Ukraine, excluding Trump.
EU Accession and Future Prospects
Despite increasing sentiment in some European capitals that Ukraine may need to make concessions as it enters its fourth year of full-scale war, leaders of France, Britain, and Germany have affirmed that only Ukraine can decide on territorial matters. “It would be a mistake to force the Ukrainian president into a peace that his people will not accept after four years of suffering and death,” said Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine hopes to sign two additional documents in the coming days: one on security guarantees in the event of future Russian aggression, and another on Ukraine’s economic renewal.
Top EU officials met in Lviv, western Ukraine, to discuss Ukraine’s EU accession prospects, despite opposition from Hungary’s leader, Viktor Orbán. All other EU members support Ukraine’s membership and are willing to accept the country if it aligns its laws and practices with EU regulations. “Ukraine will become a member of the EU, and nobody can block it,” said Marta Kos, the EU enlargement commissioner.
Zelenskyy expressed hope that Trump would use his influence to pressure Hungary and any other EU country blocking Ukraine’s accession.
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