Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled he was open to withdrawing troops and establishing demilitarized zones in the country’s east, the closest he has come to addressing Russia’s hardline territorial demands.
The acknowledgement was part of a 20-part plan worked out between Kyiv and Washington.
Moscow is expected to demand changes, with no indication it will soften its maximalist stance of having full control over the Donetsk region.
Zelenskyy has already made some concessions in peace talks, but his latest offer — which envisions demilitarized areas as a “free economic zone” along with a new fund to finance reconstruction — could appeal to American economic interests and US President Donald Trump’s business-oriented nature, experts said.