Zelensky offers peace concessions, puts ball in Putin’s court

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said Ukraine is prepared to make concessions in peace talks with Russia, outlining new proposals during a meeting with reporters as Kyiv awaits a response from Moscow.

Speaking in Kyiv, Zelensky shared details of a draft 20-point plan aimed at ending the war, saying it would form the basis of negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, the United States and European partners.

He said he expected Moscow to respond on Wednesday after discussions between US officials and the Kremlin.

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The Ukrainian leader described the proposal as “a foundational document on ending the war, a political document between us, America, Europe, and the Russians.”

He also discussed possible security guarantees involving Ukraine, the US and European countries as part of any future agreement.

According to CNN, the current draft is a reduced version of an earlier 28-point plan previously discussed between the US and Russia.

Zelensky said the updated proposal reflects what Ukraine considers an acceptable compromise, including a possible withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from parts of the Donetsk region not currently under Russian control.

Those areas include cities such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, which Ukrainian forces continue to hold.

CNN reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Ukraine must cede all of Donetsk for a peace deal to move forward.

Zelensky said any Ukrainian pullback would require a matching withdrawal by Russian forces, creating a demilitarized buffer zone along parts of the front line.

“If we establish a free economic zone here, and it envisages a virtually demilitarized zone, – meaning heavy forces are removed from this area – and the distance, for example, is 40 kilometers (it could be five, 10, or 40 kilometers) – then if these two cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, are our free economic zone, the Russians would have to pull back their troops accordingly by five, 10, or 40 kilometers,” Zelensky said.

(CNN)