الكرملين: واشنطن تعرف موقف موسكو من التسوية مع أوكرانيا

The spokesperson for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, announced that Russia will formulate its position regarding the settlement process in Ukraine based on the information provided by the Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev in a detailed report to President Vladimir Putin about the results of his recent talks in the United States.

Continued Communication Between the Parties

He stated that the United States is well aware of Russia's position and its fundamental criteria regarding the settlement in Ukraine, emphasizing the continued communication between the two sides through existing channels.

He added that all the main criteria of the Russian position on any potential settlement in Ukraine are well known to the United States, noting that Moscow will continue communications with Washington in the near future.

Freezing the Frontlines

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the latest draft of the plan to end the war with Russia freezes the frontlines at the current contact lines but paves the way for Kyiv to withdraw from certain areas and establish demilitarized zones.

He reported that Moscow is studying the plan consisting of twenty points, which was agreed upon by American and Ukrainian negotiators, indicating that he expects a Russian response to it on Wednesday.

While it is unlikely that the Kremlin will abandon its territorial demands, with Zelensky acknowledging that there are points in the proposal he does not agree with, it seems that Kyiv has succeeded in modifying the plan compared to the original proposal consisting of 28 points, which complied with many of Russia's fundamental demands.

Withdrawal from Donetsk

The original plan demanded that Ukraine withdraw from about 20% of the total area of the Donetsk region that it still controls and recognize the territories occupied by Moscow as Russian. The final plan also removed the requirement for Kyiv to legally abandon its pursuit of joining NATO, although the United States has repeatedly emphasized that it will not allow Ukraine to join the Western military alliance.

Zelensky stated regarding the latest plan, "In the areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson, the line of troop deployment established on the date of this agreement will practically be adopted as the contact line."

He added, "A working group will convene to determine the necessary redeployment of troops to end the conflict, in addition to defining the criteria for future special economic zones."

Zelensky revealed the details of the plan to journalists during a conference held in Kyiv on Tuesday, and its proceedings were published on Wednesday morning.

It seems that the plan paves the way for options that Ukraine has been hesitant about, which involve withdrawing its forces and establishing demilitarized zones, but it delays them.

Zelensky said, "We are in a situation where the Russians want us to withdraw from the Donetsk region while the Americans are trying to find a way forward. They are looking for a demilitarized zone or a free economic area, any formula that can satisfy both parties."

Demilitarized Zone

Ukraine proposed that the city of Enerhodar, which is occupied by Russia and oversees the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, be a demilitarized zone.

Zelensky mentioned that any plan stipulating Kyiv's withdrawal of its forces would have to be put to a referendum in Ukraine. He said, "A free economic area. If we are going to discuss that, we must first put the issue to a referendum."

The plan calls for a joint American-Ukrainian-Russian administration of the Zaporizhia plant, which is occupied by Russian forces. Zelensky stated that he does not wish for any Russian oversight of the facility.