Kyiv faces intense diplomatic pressure as the United States seeks a “free economic zone” in Donetsk, currently controlled by Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that any territorial or governance decisions must be approved by the Ukrainian people.
Ukraine presented a 20-point counter-proposal to the US in ongoing peace talks. These focus on security guarantees and democratic approval.
“They propose Ukrainian troop withdrawal from Donetsk while Russian forces would not enter,” Zelenskyy said. “Governance of the region remains unclear.”
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While the US frames it as an economic free zone, Russia calls it a demilitarized zone. Zelenskyy insisted Ukrainians must decide.
Peace discussions also cover control of Donetsk and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Security guarantees remain critical for all next steps.
NATO warned of potential Russian threats to Europe, while European leaders discussed mobilizing €200 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.