The issue of territories is the most complex point of the 20-point peace plan discussed by Ukraine and the USA.
Photo: Jonathan Raa / NurPhoto via Getty Images
The issue of territories is the most complex point of the 20-point peace plan, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted today in a conversation with journalists, RBC-Ukraine reports.
The draft document states that in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, the line of contact is fixed at the location of troops on the date of signing the agreement. This means – "stand where we stand".
Ukraine demands that the Russian Federation withdraw troops from Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions for the agreement to take effect. But Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from the Donetsk region; a compromise option from the USA is a free economic zone.
"We believe that a free economic zone is a potential opportunity for a sovereign state to choose such a path. We fought for one word – "potential". We believe that such potential, like economic zones, can exist for a state," Zelenskyy noted.
He explained that if an agreement on "stand where we stand" cannot be reached, there are two options: continued war or the need to resolve all issues with potential economic zones.
In case the discussion is indeed about a potential free economic zone of Donbas – this will need to be decided in a referendum.
"That is, if this is being discussed, then it's about some special format, which means a special decision, which means it's a referendum – only a referendum can determine whether people agree to such a path, if the proposal for Ukraine is precisely this – either this or war," he added.
At the same time, Zelenskyy noted that the USA wants a referendum, and he explained to them that the entire document, not just separate issues, would have to be put to such a referendum.
"We can go to a referendum with a complete agreement that would formalize the end of the war. A referendum requires a minimum of 60 days. And we need a real ceasefire for 60 days. Otherwise, we won't hold it. That is, the referendum won't be legitimate," he added.
He also explained that if there is indeed a free economic zone, international forces will monitor it, and the creation of such a zone must also be approved by the Rada. Therefore, in addition to a referendum, a separate law will also be needed.
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