Russia "Free economic zone" as a compromise? Kiev is skeptical
In the struggle to end the Russian war of aggression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gives an insight into the current state of negotiations.
12.12.2025, 03:51
SDA
According to him, the USA has put forward the idea of declaring the part of the Donbass region in the east of the country previously controlled by the Ukrainian army a "free economic zone". According to local media reports in Kiev, Zelenskyi said that the compromise proposal was that the Russian side would not enter this area.
However, he added that, in the interests of fairness, the reverse question should be allowed: "If one side withdraws, as the Ukrainians are being asked to do, why doesn't the other warring party withdraw the same distance in the other direction?"
US President Donald Trump's administration recently presented a plan for a peace settlement, which critics described as a "Russian wish list" and a de facto declaration of surrender by Ukraine because it essentially contained familiar demands from Moscow. Ukraine and its European allies attempted to revise the plan at breakneck speed and cross out points that were unacceptable to them. Ukraine then submitted a response on Wednesday.
Further meetings and talks on the peace plan are to take place over the next few days. "There will be a meeting on Saturday, we'll see if we participate or not," said Trump in the White House - without mentioning with whom the talks would be held. He emphasized that US representatives would take part in such a meeting "if we think there is a good chance". Otherwise, no time would be wasted.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had recently stated that it was possible that there would be a meeting in Berlin at the beginning of next week following talks at the weekend. However, the participation of the US government is still questionable.
Selenskyj: Only the people can decide on territorial issues
The sticking points in the talks are territorial issues and guarantees for Ukraine. Zelensky has ruled out ceding territory in the past - in his view, only the Ukrainian people can decide on this. "In the form of elections or in the form of a referendum, but it must be the position of the people of Ukraine," the head of state told journalists in Kiev. Much would depend on the situation on the front.
The USA had proposed a withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are still held. According to a recent survey by the renowned Razumkov Center, more than 90 percent of Ukrainians are against territorial concessions to Russia. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had declared that if Ukraine did not agree to this core condition for peace, Russia would achieve its war aims on the battlefield.
Moscow considers the two regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, the southern Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia and the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea to be Russian territory and is demanding that Kiev irrevocably recognize this. Article 73 of the Ukrainian constitution stipulates that territorial changes can only be initiated via a nationwide referendum. The referendum must in turn be called by parliament. Furthermore, the constitution cannot be amended as long as the martial law declared after the Russian invasion in 2022 is in force.
Zelensky fears stealth deployment of Russian soldiers
According to media reports, Zelenskyi said it was unclear how the "free economic zone" proposed by the US would be administered and how Russia could be prevented from advancing further into the territory - if not obviously, then for example with soldiers in civilian clothes, as was once done in Crimea.
Ukraine still controls around 30 percent of the mining and industrial region known as Donbass in eastern Ukraine, including the areas of Luhansk and Donetsk. Selensky confirmed that the plan currently under discussion provides for the withdrawal of the Russian army from the Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions in return. A freeze along the current front line is planned for the southern Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson.
As far as the size of the Ukrainian army is concerned, Ukraine insists on a target troop strength of 800,000 soldiers, according to Selensky. In the original version of the peace plan, there was still talk of a limit of 600,000 soldiers.
Security guarantees and an "extremely frustrated" president
Selenskyj and his team also spoke to the US side on Thursday about "one of the three documents we are currently working on - the one on security guarantees". These "are among the most important elements for all further steps", as Zelensky indicated. Concrete answers are needed as to what the partners would do if Russia were to attack again following a peace agreement. Work would continue on this.
Trump reiterated that the USA was prepared to provide security guarantees. "We would help with security because I think it's a necessary factor," he said. However, Trump did not provide any further details.
According to Selenskyj, high-ranking US government representatives took part in the video call with the Ukrainians: in addition to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were also present. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was also present.
Almost a year after taking office, Trump is "extremely frustrated" with Russia and Ukraine, according to the White House. He does not want to see more talks, but action, said his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt at a press conference on Thursday. Trump wants the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine to finally come to an end.
