Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is open to withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a possible deal to end the war, if Russia also pulls back and the area is turned into a demilitarized zone overseen by international forces.
The proposal offers a potential compromise over the Donbas region, one of the most contentious issues in peace efforts with Moscow. Zelenskyy said the idea, discussed with the United States, includes creating a demilitarized free economic zone, though key questions about governance and development remain unresolved.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Zelenskyy outlined a broader 20-point draft plan developed in recent talks between Ukrainian and US negotiators in Florida. He said many elements are still under discussion and any final agreement would need approval through a national referendum.
Zelenskyy said a similar demilitarized arrangement could be considered for the area around the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The United States has suggested a joint consortium involving Ukraine and Russia, but Zelenskyy countered with a proposal for a US-Ukraine venture, allowing Washington to decide how to distribute its share, potentially including Russia.
Russia has shown no sign it would accept troop withdrawals. Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine give up remaining territory in the Donbas, most of which is already under Russian control. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would assess the proposals after receiving information from talks between Russian and US envoys, without giving details.
Zelenskyy described control of Donbas as the hardest issue to resolve, noting that any demilitarized zone would require complex discussions on troop pullbacks and the placement of international monitors. He said international forces could be stationed at selected points along the contact line to oversee compliance.
The draft plan also calls for Russian forces to withdraw from several other Ukrainian regions and includes provisions for strong security guarantees for Ukraine, similar in principle to NATO’s collective defense commitments. Zelenskyy said these guarantees would be detailed in a separate agreement with the United States, to be signed alongside any peace deal.
Other elements of the proposal include keeping Ukraine’s peacetime army at 800,000 troops, fast-tracking European Union membership, expanding trade ties with the United States, and launching a massive reconstruction effort aimed at attracting up to $800 billion in investment. The plan also envisions elections after an agreement is signed and the release of all prisoners held since 2014.
Zelenskyy acknowledged that Washington has not accepted all of Ukraine’s counterproposals but said positions have moved closer, adding that most areas of consensus have already been reached.