Zelenskiy tells European leaders Ukraine is ready to withdraw troops if Russia does the same – FT
28 December 22:15
During a telephone conversation with European leaders on December 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready to withdraw troops from the front line to create a demilitarized zone if Russia does the same.
This was reported on Sunday, December 28, by the Financial Times, citing two sources, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
But in exchange, the Ukrainian leader wants to achieve reliable security guarantees that will clearly define the actions of the allies in the event of a violation of the peace agreement by Moscow.
He also wants to ensure sustainable funding for the defense forces and support for air defense, including a European military presence in Ukraine. Decisions on the territories are possible only after a referendum held in peaceful and secure conditions, Zelenskyy said.
Regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Zelenskyy wants it to be placed under international control. In this case, the electricity produced by it would be distributed on both sides of the front line.
During the conversation, the Ukrainian president also said that he did not expect Moscow to give up its maximalist demands, nor did he expect it to agree to the plan proposed by Ukraine. However, he would like the United States to focus its attention on putting pressure on Russia.
Russia has already made it clear that it will reject any changes that Ukraine makes to the original US peace plan, which was developed with significant participation from Moscow.
on December 23, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced for the first time all 20 points of the peace plan, which previously consisted of 28 points. The document includes security guarantees, the number of the Armed Forces at 800,000, the management of the ZNPP by a joint Ukrainian-American-Russian company, a demilitarized zone in Donbas, and more.
