Russia considers police control for Donbas, with no troops needed
Photo: Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov (Getty Images)
Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, suggested that after the ceasefire in Donbas, there may be neither Ukrainian nor Russian troops, but there will be the Russian Guard, according to Russian media.
Commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement about a referendum on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas, he said that Donbas is allegedly Russian territory and will supposedly be under the control of the Russian administration.
"If not through negotiations, then militarily, this territory will come under the full control of the Russian Federation. Everything else will depend on this. A ceasefire can only come after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops," Ushakov said.
He suggested that there would allegedly be “no Russian or Ukrainian troops” in Donbas.
"It is possible that there will be no troops there, neither Russian nor Ukrainian. But there will be the Russian Guard, there will be our police, there will be everything necessary to maintain order and organize life," Ushakov said.
Demilitarized zone in Donbas
French media Le Monde wrote that Ukraine allegedly agreed to the terms for the formation of a “demilitarized zone,” but on condition that troops be withdrawn from both sides. This key concession on the part of Ukraine for a potential peace agreement was also allegedly approved by European leaders.
However, the Office of the President of Ukraine denied this information.
They explained that the advisor to the head of the Presidential Administration, Mykhailo Podolyak, told the French media not about Ukraine's consent, but about the fact that various security models could theoretically be discussed — but everything depends on the details, control mechanisms, and legal guarantees.
Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he had heard all the proposals from the American side and, in fact, through them, from the Russian side regarding the territory of the Donetsk region.
According to him, these approaches do not correspond to Ukraine's interests, but it is necessary to continue the dialogue and seek adequate solutions.
The president explained that there are different models for the withdrawal of troops, such as a symmetrical withdrawal of 5 or 10 kilometers on both sides, as well as the need for international monitoring, as is the case in many conflicts.
