"President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the United States is pushing for Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the Donetsk region to establish a free economic zone in the Kyiv-held parts of eastern Ukraine that Moscow wants to control. Zelenskyy confirmed on Thursday that his country had presented the US with a 20-point set of counter-proposals for peace amid discussions on security guarantees with top US officials, making it clear that any territorial concessions would have to be put to a referendum in Ukraine."
"Zelenskyy is under mounting US pressure to secure a deal with Russia, with reports that US President Donald Trump wants an agreement by Christmas. The general peace plan includes the 20-point framework and separate documents on security guarantees and on rebuilding Ukraine. The full details of the framework, which revises a US draft seen as heavily weighted in Russia's favour, have not been released."
"They do not know who will govern this territory, said the Ukrainian president. He said that Russia had referred to the proposed buffer area as a demilitarised zone and that the US team was describing it as an economic free zone. I believe that the people of Ukraine will answer this question. Whether through elections or a referendum, there must be a position from the people of Ukraine, he said."
The United States is reportedly advocating a Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donetsk to create a buffer or free economic zone in Kyiv-held areas that Russia seeks. Ukraine submitted a 20-point counter-proposal alongside documents on security guarantees and reconstruction, and insists any territorial concessions must be decided by referendum or election. Russia describes the proposed area as demilitarised while US officials call it an economic free zone, with uncertainty about governance and Russian troop presence. Kyiv controls roughly one-fifth of Donetsk and opposes a unilateral withdrawal. Control of Donetsk and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remain central disputes.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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