Zelenskyy calls unfair the US idea that Ukraine should withdraw from Donbas and Russia should not enter

As part of the peace plan, the United States proposes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces withdraw from the Ukrainian Donbas and that Russia will not enter these territories, the president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He called this option unfair, asking why Russia should not also withdraw its troops. The head of state said this during a conversation with the media before the talks in Berlin.

In the context of Ukraine's advocacy for a ceasefire along the front line ("we stand where we are") and the US supporting the creation of a "free economic" or "demilitarized" zone in Donetsk Oblast, Zelenskyy was asked at what stage of discussion this particular issue is, and whether a referendum on it could be considered

According to the president, the only fair option for today is to "stand where we are," as this is the ceasefire: "The parties stand and then try to resolve all common issues diplomatically."

"I know that Russia is not positive about this, and I would like the Americans to support us in this matter. But when we say "we are standing where we are," Russians respond that we must withdraw from Donbas or they will occupy it anyway," the head of state explained.

He noted that he had discussed this issue with the United States, saying that there were "many insinuations of various kinds" in this matter.

In this context, Zelenskyy recalled Kupiansk in Kharkiv region: Moscow claimed that the city was allegedly occupied and Ukrainian troops were surrounded there, but the president recently visited the town and "showed who controls this place".

"There is a lot of such disinformation from the Russians, and that is why I gave signals to our colleagues from the United States that we should not believe everything that Russia says. Russia wants to save its strength and occupy the east of our country by political means, diplomatic and political means," the head of state explained.

According to him, then Washington offered the following compromise: the Russian army would not enter part of the Ukrainian east, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces would withdraw.

However, Zelenskyy said he did not think this was fair, asking who would manage this economic zone.

"If we are talking about some kind of buffer zone along the contact line, if we are talking about some kind of economic zone, and we believe that there should be only a police mission there, and the troops should withdraw, the question is very simple. If Ukrainian troops are withdrawing 5-10 kilometers and so on, for example, why don't Russian troops withdraw deep into the occupied territories to the same distance?" the president said.

There is no answer to this question yet, but it is "very sensitive and very hot," the head of state summarized.

• During the same conversation with the media, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine and the United States are discussing security guarantees for Kyiv like NATO Article 5 on collective security.
• Ukrainian-American talks are scheduled for December 14 in Berlin, Germany. Zelenskyy noted that Kyiv has not yet received a response from the US for the latest proposals made to the peace plan.