US Seeks Compromise with Ukraine Over Donbas Territory, Proposes 'Free Economic Zone'
In a surprising shift, the United States has proposed a compromise to Ukraine over its withdrawal from the Donbas region, a strategic territory in eastern Ukraine that is currently controlled by Russia-backed separatists. The plan, which was first floated by US President Donald Trump, involves Ukrainian troops withdrawing from Donbas while Russian troops remain frozen along the frontlines.
In return, the US would create a "free economic zone" in the parts of Ukraine that Kyiv currently controls, including major cities like Kiev and Kherson. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concerns over the plan, warning that it lacks guarantees to prevent Russian troops from taking control of the territory after a Ukrainian withdrawal.
"The US proposal is not acceptable to us," Zelenskyy said in an interview. "Who will govern this territory? Who will hold back these other troops? It's all very serious."
The Ukrainian president emphasized that any territorial concessions must be accompanied by guarantees of Russian troop withdrawals and commitments to respect Ukraine's sovereignty.
Zelenskyy also pointed out that the US plan does not provide for Ukraine's security, despite the ongoing threat from Russia. "If one side's troops have to retreat and the other side stays where they are, then what will hold back these other troops? Or what will stop them disguising themselves as civilians and taking over this free economic zone?"
The Ukrainian president made it clear that Ukraine would not agree to any deal without guarantees of Russian troop withdrawals. "It's not a fact that Ukraine would agree to it," Zelenskyy said, "but if you are talking about a compromise then it has to be a fair compromise."
Trump's plans for peace in Ukraine have been met with skepticism by European leaders, who fear that the US president is underestimating the complexity of the conflict. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that if Russia were allowed to get its way, it could lead to "war on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured."
The situation in Ukraine remains volatile, with fighting continuing in several regions. The country's leaders have expressed concerns over the prospect of US pressure on Hungary, which has been blocking formal negotiations on Ukraine's EU accession.
Despite these challenges, EU officials met in Lviv to discuss Ukraine's accession prospects, with all member states but Hungary supporting Ukraine's membership. Marta Kos, EU enlargement commissioner, stated that "Ukraine will become a member of the EU, and nobody can block it."
Zelenskyy expressed hope that Trump would use his leverage to persuade Hungary to change its stance on Ukraine's accession.
In a surprising shift, the United States has proposed a compromise to Ukraine over its withdrawal from the Donbas region, a strategic territory in eastern Ukraine that is currently controlled by Russia-backed separatists. The plan, which was first floated by US President Donald Trump, involves Ukrainian troops withdrawing from Donbas while Russian troops remain frozen along the frontlines.
In return, the US would create a "free economic zone" in the parts of Ukraine that Kyiv currently controls, including major cities like Kiev and Kherson. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concerns over the plan, warning that it lacks guarantees to prevent Russian troops from taking control of the territory after a Ukrainian withdrawal.
"The US proposal is not acceptable to us," Zelenskyy said in an interview. "Who will govern this territory? Who will hold back these other troops? It's all very serious."
The Ukrainian president emphasized that any territorial concessions must be accompanied by guarantees of Russian troop withdrawals and commitments to respect Ukraine's sovereignty.
Zelenskyy also pointed out that the US plan does not provide for Ukraine's security, despite the ongoing threat from Russia. "If one side's troops have to retreat and the other side stays where they are, then what will hold back these other troops? Or what will stop them disguising themselves as civilians and taking over this free economic zone?"
The Ukrainian president made it clear that Ukraine would not agree to any deal without guarantees of Russian troop withdrawals. "It's not a fact that Ukraine would agree to it," Zelenskyy said, "but if you are talking about a compromise then it has to be a fair compromise."
Trump's plans for peace in Ukraine have been met with skepticism by European leaders, who fear that the US president is underestimating the complexity of the conflict. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that if Russia were allowed to get its way, it could lead to "war on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured."
The situation in Ukraine remains volatile, with fighting continuing in several regions. The country's leaders have expressed concerns over the prospect of US pressure on Hungary, which has been blocking formal negotiations on Ukraine's EU accession.
Despite these challenges, EU officials met in Lviv to discuss Ukraine's accession prospects, with all member states but Hungary supporting Ukraine's membership. Marta Kos, EU enlargement commissioner, stated that "Ukraine will become a member of the EU, and nobody can block it."
Zelenskyy expressed hope that Trump would use his leverage to persuade Hungary to change its stance on Ukraine's accession.
... i mean, if they create a free economic zone in donbas, wont it just be another excuse for russia to move more troops in there? 
but on the other hand, like, maybe its a good thing for ukraine to get some economic boost and stuff 
idk... zelenskyy seems right though, gotta have guarantees or else imo 
dont wanna see russia taking over again 
. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is right to be cautious - who's going to keep the peace if Ukrainian troops pull out? 
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. And what about Ukraine's security? The US plan doesn't address that. I mean, I get that Trump is trying to broker peace and all, but this whole 'free economic zone' thing sounds like a recipe for disaster 
. It seems like there are a lot of loopholes that could let Russian troops sneak in and take over the territory again 
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. It sounds like Zelenskyy needs some reassurance that Russia will actually follow through on its commitments before he'll even consider this deal 
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. NATO Secretary General Rutte is right to sound the alarm about Russia getting what it wants and leading to war on a massive scale 
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. The situation in Ukraine remains super volatile, and we need to be careful not to rush into anything that could make things worse 
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. Creating a "free economic zone" in Ukraine while keeping Russian troops frozen along the frontlines is just asking for trouble 
. The EU is all for Ukrainian membership, but the US needs to get its act together and show some backbone on this one 
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. I don't think so, folks! We need a more solid plan for Ukraine's security, not some half-baked proposal that's gonna leave them vulnerable to Russian aggression 
. I don't see how that's going to make Ukraine any safer.
and what really gets me is that europe is just sitting there, watching as russia gets away with this 
... like I know Trump has been trying to make some moves for peace but I didn't think he was serious about actually offering a compromise to Ukraine 
. I think it's a total cop-out, if you ask me. Ukraine needs guarantees that Russia will back off and stop threatening their sovereignty 
. This proposal doesn't even address the root issue - how can anyone trust that Russia won't just disguise themselves as civilians and take over the zone? 
. I bet European leaders are secretly shaking their heads in agreement 
. Ukraine needs real, concrete guarantees from the US - not just empty promises 
. The situation in Ukraine is way too complex to be solved with a one-size-fits-all plan. And what about all the other countries involved? Hungary needs to step up their game if they want to be seen as supportive of Ukraine 
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to get hungary to back down and let ukraine join the eu 
. I mean, what's up with the US proposing a 'free economic zone' in exchange for Ukrainian troops pulling out? It sounds like a Trojan horse to me 
. Who's gonna be in charge of this zone, exactly? The US? And how are they gonna guarantee that Russian troops don't just walk right back in when the Ukrainian troops pull out? 
Maybe Trump's plan for peace in Ukraine is really just a smokescreen for something more sinister... 
this whole thing feels like another chess game 
this us plan is kinda like a badly designed website with too many open tabs - lots of moving parts but not much clarity on what's gonna happen next. don't get me wrong, creating an economic zone in ukraine sounds like a good idea, but it needs to be done properly, with solid guarantees that russia won't just sneak back in and ruin the whole thing. zelenskyy's right to be skeptical - this deal needs to be made more concrete before anyone agrees to it 
. Newsflash: Ukraine needs guarantees, not empty promises 
. The EU is already on board with Ukraine joining, so what's holding Hungary back? Pressure, that's what! 