Zelenskyy says he’s open to a free economic zone in Ukraine’s east

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland if Russia also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarized, free economic zone monitored by international forces. The proposal, which would address one of the major obstacles to ending Russia’s war, must also be put to a referendum. A similar arrangement could be possible for the area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control, Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy spoke to reporters Tuesday to describe a 20-point overarching plan that negotiators from Ukraine and the U.S. hammered out in Florida in recent days , though he said that many details are still being worked out. American negotiators have engaged in a series of talks with Ukraine and Russia separately since U.S. President Donald Trump presented a plan to end the war last month - a proposal widely see as favoring Moscow, which invaded its neighbor nearly four years ago. Since then, Ukraine and its allies in Europe have worked to pull the plan closer to Kyiv’s position. Deciding what will happen to Ukraine’s Donbas region, the vast majority of which Russia has seized, and how Europe’s largest nuclear plant will be managed are some of the most difficult points in the negotiations. Asked about the plan, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Moscow would set out its position based on information received by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met with U.S. envoys in Florida over the weekend. Peskov declined to share further details. Russia has given no indication that it will agree to any kind of withdrawal of its troops from land it has seized. In fact, Moscow has insisted that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory it still holds in the Donbas - an ultimatum that Ukraine has rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70 per cent of Donetsk - the two areas that make up the Donbas. Zelenskyy acknowledged that figuring out control of the region is “the most difficult point.” He said these matters should be discussed at the leaders level. In addition to saying the plan must be put to a referendum, Zelenskyy said an international force would have to be deployed to the region. Meanwhile, on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the U.S. has proposed a consortium with Ukraine and Russia , in which each party would have an equal stake. Zelenskyy countered with a proposal for joint venture between the U.S. and Ukraine, in which the Americans would be able to decide how to distribute their share, including giving some of it to Russia. Zelenskyy acknowledged that the U.S. has not yet accepted Ukraine’s counterproposals. “We did not reach a consensus with the American side on the territory of the Donetsk region and on the ZNPP,” Zelenskyy said, using an acronym for the power plant in Zaporizhzhia. “But we have significantly brought most of the positions closer together. In principle, all other consensus in this agreement...

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