▲ President Zelenskyy
Ukraine has put forward a ceasefire proposal to establish a free economic zone in the frontline Donbas region currently occupied by Russia, but Russia has rejected the plan.
According to Reuters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated during a press conference over the weekend that he has drafted a ceasefire proposal spanning several pages to be presented to Russia.
The plan reportedly consists of three parts: a ceasefire, the establishment of a free economic zone, and the roles of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
President Zelenskyy explained, "This initiative contains ideas for a ceasefire, which is the core," adding, "The second part concerns the establishment of a free economic zone proposed by the United States."
President Zelenskyy noted that "these three ideas do not belong to Ukraine alone," stating that they were developed jointly with the United States and Europe.
During peace negotiations in full swing in December of last year, Russia demanded that Ukrainian troops completely withdraw from the Donbas region—including Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine occupied by Russian forces—and that the entire Donbas area be fully ceded to Russia.
On the other hand, Ukraine, which controls parts of Donetsk, wanted to halt combat operations along the current front lines. As the two sides remained at an impasse, the United States, mediating the talks, proposed creating a demilitarized zone and a free economic zone in Donetsk.
According to TASS news agency, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, when asked about the possibility of creating a US-led free economic zone on the 25th (local time), drew a firm line by stating, "Donbas is a territory and constituent entity of the Russian Federation," and "There is virtually no possibility for a third party to control Russian territory."
Russia also plans to hold its first general elections this coming September in the Donbas and Novorossiya regions that it occupied and incorporated into its own territory, aiming to strengthen its effective control.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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