Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to pull troops out of the eastern region of Donetsk and create a demilitarized free economic zone for peace. But only if Russia took similar steps to withdraw from areas it controls. He would also demand that Ukraine administer the zone, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Zelensky said the proposal and other aspects of a 20-point plan would be put to a referendum.
Ukraine’s President has said he cannot cede land in violation of the Ukrainian Constitution. However, Russia wants the 15% of the Donetsk it hasn’t conquered.
Other difficult issues include control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. It is currently under Russian occupation.
Zelensky wants the power plant jointly run by the US and Ukraine. However, that puts the US in control of the largest plant in Europe and in a position to leverage Russia at will. It is one of the reasons Russia invaded. They don’t want the US on their border.
The U.S. is looking for a compromise in creating a “free economic zone” in the area.
The Journal:
Zelensky said the fairest option would be to start talks with Russia based on the current front line—not a forced withdrawal—and said if Ukrainian troops withdraw from the area, Russia should also agree to pull back its troops.</em>
If the 20-point plan entails establishing free economic zones, Ukrainian people will have the last word through a vote on the entire deal, he said.</em>
“Only a referendum can determine whether people agree to such a path, if the proposal for Ukraine is…either this or war,” Zelensky told journalists.</em>
If Ukrainian people back the proposal, a separate agreement would be needed to define how such a zone would function and who would govern it, Zelensky said. Kyiv would expect to administer areas from which its forces withdraw, he added.
So Ukraine wants a demilitarized zone that it administers? It doesn’t sound like it has any potential.
