Zelenskyy reveals what's holding up free economic zone in Donbas
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukraine is ready to discuss the creation of a free economic zone in Donbas; however, this must not mean concessions on sovereignty or recognition of Russia's control over the occupied territories. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this while speaking with journalists on February 6.
"I do not know whether this can be implemented, because when we spoke about a free economic zone, we had different views on it. So we are talking about some large zone. Part of it is currently under Russian control. Part of the zone that we currently control, that is, the eastern part of Donbas, will be under our control," Zelenskyy said.
According to him, if the sides come to the creation of a free economic zone, fair and reliable rules will be needed.
"I mean the same rules for both sides, the same proposals for both sides. We would very much like to ask for fairer treatment. We see that the US will be neutral. Therefore, when we speak about neutrality, we ask for equal balancing for both sides," the president noted.
He emphasized that this is Ukrainian land and Ukraine will not recognize it as Russian even if it becomes a free economic zone.
"Our land, if it is a free economic zone, is our people, our flag, and it is our control. How to control it is for us to decide. We do not need to share what we will do there if it is our control and our territory. That is all," he added.
In his opinion, this would be fair and reliable.
"If I take one step back to create such a zone, they must take the same. Two steps — two steps. Three steps — three steps. Until our military tells me that we can no longer move because it is a matter of security," the head of state said.
Free economic zone in Donbas
As a reminder, the US proposed the creation of a free economic zone in Donbas as one of the points of a "peace plan."
Initially, it was proposed that in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, the line of troop deployment as of the date of the agreement would be recognized as the de facto line of contact. Russia must withdraw its troops from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions for the agreement to enter into force.
As President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained, Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from the Donetsk region, while the US proposes a compromise — a free economic zone. If there is no agreement on "we stand where we stand," then the free economic zone may be adopted only through a referendum.
Also, according to Zelenskyy, at present there is no discussion of creating a demilitarized zone in Donbas. For now, only a free economic zone is being discussed.
