Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signalled a potential major concession in a renewed effort to end the war with Russia, expressing willingness to withdraw troops from the contested Donbas region under a new peace framework.
The Core of the Updated Peace Proposal
Unveiling a latest 20-point peace plan on Christmas Eve, Zelensky stated that Ukrainian forces could pull back from the eastern industrial heartland if Moscow reciprocated, creating a demilitarised zone. The area could subsequently become a "free economic zone," though governance details remain unclear. The president stressed that the plan, thrashed out with US officials but not yet fully agreed, would need to be put before a national referendum.
The proposal, a counter to an original 28-point document discussed by US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian representatives, also envisages a similar arrangement around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control. The city of Enerhodar, near the plant, would become a demilitarised free economic zone, with a US suggestion for the facility to be jointly operated by Ukraine, the US, and Russia.
Sensitive Issues and Security Guarantees
Zelensky emphasised that the most sensitive issues, particularly territorial questions, require direct discussions at a leaders' level. "This is a document referred to as a framework, a foundational document on ending the war," he told reporters. "We are ready for a meeting with the United States at the leaders’ level to address sensitive issues."
Establishing the demilitarised zone in the Donbas would involve complex negotiations on the scale of the pullback and the positioning of international forces. However, Zelensky argued it would provide Ukraine with "strong" security guarantees, obliging NATO partners to act in case of a future Russian assault. The working draft also proposes Russian withdrawal from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.
Regional Context and Moscow's Response
The plan's announcement coincided with continued battlefield violence. Ukraine's military confirmed a withdrawal from the eastern town of Siversk near Bakhmut due to overwhelming Russian pressure, while maintaining operations near Pokrovsk. Meanwhile, in southern Moscow, an explosion killed three people, including two police officers, on the same day—an incident Russian investigators suggested may have Ukrainian involvement.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, asked about Zelensky's proposals, said Moscow would form its position based on reports from Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met US officials in Florida recently. Russia has previously demanded Ukraine relinquish all Donbas territory, an ultimatum Kyiv has rejected. To date, Moscow has shown no indication it will agree to withdraw from seized land.
The updated plan emerges after a series of separate talks between American negotiators, Ukraine, and Russia, following a peace proposal presented by US President Donald Trump last month. The broader framework includes limiting Ukraine's peacetime military to 800,000 personnel and an $800bn fundraising project for national reconstruction.
