The United States wants to make Donbas a “free economic zone” as part of a new peace deal
The United States has proposed a new compromise aimed at reviving stalled peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia — a plan that would see Ukrainian troops pull back from parts of the Donbas, while Moscow’s forces would be barred from entering the vacated territory.
Is this how the United States can achieve peace in Ukraine?
The idea, described as either a “free economic zone” or a “demilitarised zone”, represents a shift from an earlier, far more controversial draft of the United States that reportedly suggested Kyiv should relinquish the remaining areas of Donetsk and Luhansk it still controls. The updated proposal stops short of full territorial handover, but still requires Ukraine to withdraw military personnel from strategic positions.
Speaking to journalists in Kyiv on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the existence of the proposal and stressed that many fundamental aspects remained unclear. The United States, he said, has offered no concrete explanation as to who would administer such a zone or what mechanisms could ensure its security, writes the Guardian.
Zelenskyy is still not fully convinced
According to Zelenskyy, the biggest concern is the absence of credible guarantees preventing Russia from simply occupying the territory once Ukrainian forces step back. “If one side’s troops have to retreat and the other side stays where they are, then what will hold back these other troops, the Russians?” he asked. He also warned that Russian soldiers could attempt to infiltrate the area disguised as civilians, effectively undermining the entire scheme.
The Ukrainian president emphasised that Kyiv is not outright rejecting the concept, but any compromise must be “fair” and must not expose Ukraine to new security risks. Without clear enforcement measures and international oversight, Zelenskyy suggested, the proposal would be impossible to take seriously.
And there is the paperwork
Should Ukraine ultimately consider accepting such an arrangement, he added, the decision would need democratic legitimacy. Elections or a national referendum would be required to ratify any agreement involving territorial or security concessions.
The United States has not publicly commented on the details of the new plan, which appears to reflect growing Western efforts to nudge both sides towards negotiations as the war drags on with heavy costs and no clear end in sight. For Kyiv, however, any arrangement that redefines the status of Donbas remains politically explosive — and fraught with uncertainty.