Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put forward the idea of creating a free economic zone with special rules as a compromise solution to the Donbas issue. This proposal was stated as a condition related to the possibility of withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the region. The president announced this in an interview with Fox News. The interview was announced on Monday, December 29.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine cannot relinquish its territories in the process of resolving the war with Russia. This, according to him, contradicts the country's legislation, the general position of society, and the real situation.
"We simply cannot leave our territories. This is outside the scope of our law. "It's not just about the law - people live there, our army is located there," the president said.
The Ukrainian leader openly acknowledged that the issue of territories is the most difficult and complex point in peace negotiations. According to him, it is on this issue that the positions of Kyiv and Moscow differ sharply. Zelenskyy noted that approximately 300,000 Ukrainian citizens still reside in the Donbas region, a significant portion of whom have suffered as a result of raids and fighting. Therefore, he emphasized that this issue cannot be approached solely through formal or purely political means.
"Everyone wants peace, but not at any price. The referendum on the renunciation of territories will not yield a positive result for Ukraine," he said. The President believes that Ukrainian society does not support such an initiative.
Zelenskyy sees the creation of a free economic zone as a "real compromise" on Donbas. According to him, if Ukrainian troops retreat several kilometers, Russia should take the same step and withdraw its forces. Special economic and administrative rules may apply in this territory.
On December 28, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump met in Florida. Following this, the Ukrainian and US leaders stated that the parties are "very close" on the issue of a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy stated that an agreement has been reached on approximately 90% of the 20 points of the peace plan, and the security guarantees provided by the US have been fully coordinated. At the same time, the President of Ukraine did not rule out the possibility of putting this plan to a referendum, since the issue of territories still remains one of the most sensitive and controversial topics.
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