Ukraine studies US proposal on buffer economic zone - Zelenskyy
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is reviewing a US-proposed plan to establish a free economic zone that could be created between Ukrainian forces and Russian forces in the event of a ceasefire, according to Bloomberg.
According to him, this is not a large-scale free trade agreement but a localized initiative directly related to the combat zone.
If implemented, such a zone could be established in areas liberated after the withdrawal of troops and would operate under a special legal and tax regime.
"The format is complex but fair," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The president explained that the approach envisages symmetrical steps by Russia and would require broad discussion within Ukraine.
Under one option, a free economic zone could be created in parts of the Donbas, serving as a compromise solution that would require both sides to pull their troops back to a safe distance in order to restore normal life.
At the same time, Zelenskyy outlined an alternative scenario involving a ceasefire without troop withdrawal, followed by the resolution of disputed issues through diplomatic means.
The president also stressed that Russia’s actions demonstrate its unwillingness to engage in genuine diplomacy.
He reiterated that Ukraine will never recognize occupied territories as Russian, even if full sovereignty over them is restored in the future.
Free economic zone in US 'peace plan'
The United States proposed the creation of a free economic zone in the Donbas as one of the elements of its "peace plan."
Initially, the proposal envisaged that in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, the line of troop deployment on the date of the agreement would be considered the de facto line of contact. Russia, in turn, would have to withdraw its forces from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions for the agreement to take effect.
As Zelenskyy explained, Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from the Donetsk region, while the US is proposing a free economic zone as a compromise. If there is no agreement on a “stand where you stand” formula, the free economic zone could only be approved via a referendum.
At the same time, he noted that the US favors a referendum but stressed that the entire document, rather than a single issue, should be put to a vote.
Zelenskyy initially said that territorial issues should be decided by the people of Ukraine through elections or a referendum. He later clarified that a referendum is not currently on the agenda and that Ukraine’s negotiating team is continuing to seek possible solutions.
