Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is open to withdrawing Ukrainian troops from parts of the country’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end Russia’s war, if Moscow also pulls back and the area is turned into a demilitarized zone monitored by international forces.
The proposal signals a possible compromise over control of the Donbas region, one of the most contentious issues in peace talks. Zelensky said the United States proposed creating a “free economic zone” in the area, which he said would need to be demilitarized, though it remains unclear how such a zone would be governed or developed.
A similar arrangement could apply to the area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control, Zelensky said, adding that any peace deal would have to be approved in a referendum.
Zelensky spoke to reporters Tuesday about a broad 20-point framework that Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators worked out in Florida in recent days, stressing that many details are still under discussion.
Russia shows no sign of withdrawal
Russia has given no indication it would agree to withdraw from territory it has seized. Instead, Moscow has demanded that Ukraine relinquish the remaining parts of the Donbas it still controls — an ultimatum Kyiv has rejected. Russia occupies most of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk, which together make up the Donbas.
Asked about the proposal, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Moscow would determine its position based on information provided by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met U.S. envoys in Florida over the weekend. Peskov declined to elaborate.
U.S. negotiators have held separate talks with Ukraine and Russia since President Donald Trump presented a plan last month to end the war — a proposal widely seen as favoring Moscow. Ukraine and its European allies have since sought to shift the plan closer to Kyiv’s position.
Zelensky described resolving control of the Donbas as “the most difficult point.”
Nuclear plant proposals
Regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Zelensky said the U.S. proposed creating a consortium involving Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia, with equal stakes. Zelensky countered with a joint U.S.-Ukraine venture in which Washington could decide how to distribute its share, including potentially allocating part of it to Russia.
Zelensky acknowledged the U.S. has not accepted Ukraine’s counterproposals. “But we have significantly brought most of the positions closer together,” he said. “In principle, all other consensus in this agreement has been found between us and them.”
Demilitarized zone challenges
Zelensky said creating a demilitarized economic zone in the Donbas would require difficult discussions about how far troops would withdraw and where international forces would be stationed, and that such talks should take place at the leadership level.
A working U.S.-Ukraine draft also calls for Russian forces to withdraw from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Zelensky said international forces could be deployed at specific points along the contact line to monitor compliance.
Ukraine has also proposed that Enerhodar, the city closest to the Zaporizhzhia plant, become a demilitarized free economic zone. Zelensky said this issue required 15 hours of talks with the U.S., without reaching agreement.
For now, the U.S. suggests joint operation of the plant by Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia, each holding a 33% stake — a proposal Zelensky called “not entirely realistic.”
“How can you have joint commerce with the Russians after everything?” he said.
Ukraine instead proposes a U.S.-Ukraine joint venture under which the U.S. would control a 50% share and independently determine energy distribution. Zelensky said billions of dollars would be needed to restart the plant, including rebuilding a nearby dam.
Security guarantees and broader terms
The draft agreement includes what Zelensky described as “strong” security guarantees obligating Ukraine’s partners to act in the event of renewed Russian aggression, mirroring NATO’s Article 5. A separate document with the U.S. would outline the conditions for these guarantees and establish a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, to be signed alongside the main agreement.
“The mood of the United States of America is that this is an unprecedented step towards Ukraine on their part. They believe that they are giving strong security guarantees,” Zelensky said.
Other provisions include maintaining Ukraine’s military at 800,000 troops during peacetime and committing to Ukraine’s European Union membership by a specific date — a key point, as Russia has demanded limits on Ukraine’s armed forces.
Elections and economic measures
The draft also proposes accelerating a U.S.-Ukraine free-trade agreement. Zelensky said the U.S. seeks a similar deal with Russia.
Ukraine is seeking temporary preferential access to European markets and a major global development package, including a fund to attract foreign investment in Ukrainian industry. The plan aims to raise up to $800 billion for reconstruction through equity, grants, loans and private investment.
The proposal calls for Ukraine to hold elections after the agreement is signed. Zelensky’s five-year term was due to end in May 2024, but elections were postponed due to the war.
Ukraine is also demanding the release of all prisoners taken since 2014 and the return of civilian detainees, political prisoners and children.
Separate developments in Russia
Meanwhile, an explosion in Moscow on Wednesday killed three people, including two police officers, according to Russian investigators. The blast followed a car bombing days earlier that killed a senior Russian general.
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Car explosion in Moscow, Russia, killed Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov
(Photo: Russia's Investigative Committee/Handout via REUTERS)
An official from Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known as GUR, told The Associated Press the attack was part of an agency operation. Another GUR official said the police officers had participated in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.