Ukraine is ready to agree to a demilitarized zone in Donbas - Le Monde
Kyiv • UNN
Ukraine is ready to agree to the creation of a demilitarized zone in Donbas as a concession to end the war. This concession has the support of European leaders and is included in the revised US peace plan.
Ukraine is ready to agree to a demilitarized zone in Donbas as a concession to end the war, Le Monde reports, writes UNN.
Details
"With downcast eyes and a subdued voice, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, December 11, admitted that Ukraine is now 'ready' to agree to territorial concessions," the publication writes. According to Le Monde, "Kyiv has agreed to one of the main points of negotiations with the United States and Russia, agreeing to the creation of a demilitarized zone in Donbas." The concession, as stated, "has the support of European leaders" who seek to end the war.
"The concession was included in a revised US peace plan, prepared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and handed over to US President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening." French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Merz participated in drafting the proposal, the German Chancellor confirmed.
"According to Kyiv, a demilitarized zone would require the withdrawal of both Ukrainian and Russian troops from both sides of the current front line in Donbas. The strategically important region, an industrial basin that Russia has sought since 2014, could then be placed under the supervision of international forces, including the US, to prevent further Russian aggression," the publication states.
"Monitoring the implementation of agreements"
"A demilitarized zone must exist on both sides of the demarcation line," Mykhailo Podolyak, a "Ukrainian negotiator," told Le Monde. "We will need to logically and legally define whether all types of weapons should be withdrawn, or only heavy weapons. To prevent possible violations, representatives of monitoring missions and an international contingent will have to be present to ensure compliance with the agreed principles and agreements," he said. "This is a natural format for ending the conflict, knowing that part of the territory, unfortunately, will remain under de facto Russian occupation, and that a demarcation line will be established in any case."
"It is necessary to clearly and precisely define what roles and missions will be assigned to third parties," Podolyak added, noting that Ukrainians "ideally" would like the US to participate in these oversight forces to ensure "monitoring, intelligence, supervision of the application of agreements, supervision of the absence of unauthorized troop movements, and supervision of compliance with the demarcation line."
As the publication notes, this approach resembles the demilitarized zone (DMZ) established between North and South Korea as part of the armistice between the two countries in 1953 – no peace treaty has been signed since then. In the Korean case, the DMZ is about four kilometers wide and 250 kilometers long along the border. In Ukraine, the zone would be much longer and deeper.
"The territorial concession is painful for Zelenskyy, but it is intended to help him avoid a complete rejection, as Moscow has demanded for months, of parts of Donbas not occupied by Russia, which constitute 25% of the Donetsk region alone. This Kremlin demand remains an absolute red line for Zelenskyy, aware of the resistance of both the Ukrainian military and the public to any form of surrender," the publication states.
On Monday, Zelenskyy reiterated that he has neither the "legal" nor the "moral" right to cede Ukrainian territory. Any agreement between Ukraine and Russia regarding control over the eastern regions must be "fair" and confirmed by either "elections" or a "referendum" in Ukraine, Zelenskyy clarified on Thursday. The outcome of any such vote is far from certain: although Ukrainians are exhausted and traumatized by the war, they remain deeply attached to their country's territorial sovereignty, the publication notes.
"Funding for reconstruction"
"The document sent to the US contains three parts," Podolyak explained. "The first concerns the end of the war itself and is outlined in approximately 20 points. The second details the creation of a European security architecture for the post-war period, including issues of security guarantees aimed at deterring Russia from launching new offensive actions after a potential ceasefire," the publication writes.
"The third section focuses on the reconstruction of Ukraine: rebuilding its economy and restoring its defense capabilities," the publication notes. "The aggressor must contribute to the financing of reconstruction. This is a mandatory element for ending the war. Otherwise, the aggressor will feel that he has only benefited from the conflict, and there will be no deterrent factor," Podolyak warned.
The concessions Zelenskyy agreed to are difficult decisions. The two parts about security guarantees and reconstruction are like consolation prizes that help swallow the pill
As the publication writes, "the counter-proposal aims to encourage Trump to take a more positive stance towards Kyiv and European capitals." On Wednesday, during a phone call with the leaders of the so-called E3 (France, Germany, and Great Britain), Trump "appeared irritated by the stalemate in negotiations, for which he blamed Ukraine and Europe, ignoring Russia's intransigence," the publication notes. He was "rude," one participant said.
Christmas ultimatum
Trump also criticized the absence of presidential elections in Ukraine, which were prevented by Russian shelling. "This is no longer a democracy," the billionaire stated. "If the United States and Europe help ensure security, guarantee electoral rights, and finance the process, then Ukraine is ready to organize elections," Podolyak replied. "There is no obstacle other than the war itself. Zelenskyy is always ready for political competition and debates about the country's future."
"Will the American president appreciate Ukraine's steps towards him?" the publication asks. On Thursday, Zelenskyy stated that Washington proposes creating a "free economic zone" and a demilitarized territory in eastern Ukraine, adding that the American side is considering withdrawing Russian troops from northern Ukraine but allowing them to remain in the south.
To reconcile different positions, a meeting of representatives from the US, France, Great Britain, Germany, and Ukraine may take place in Paris on Saturday. Merz suggested that the leaders meet with Trump in Berlin two days later. Will the billionaire make this trip? "We'll see what the future brings," he said on Wednesday, adding that he doesn't want to "waste his time."
"Trump, who, contrary to historical reality, blames Ukraine for the war, has given Kyiv a Christmas ultimatum. This artificial deadline has created a sense of urgency," the publication writes. But "Zelenskyy is not succumbing to American pressure," said Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee. "If Trump abandons us, he will be considered a Chamberlain," he said, referring to the British prime minister who signed the Munich Agreement and earned the nickname "guilty party" in his country. Merezhko noted that, in his opinion, despite all of Ukraine's efforts, no agreement with Vladimir Putin will ever be possible: "Ukrainians want to live, and Putin wants to kill us," the Ukrainian legislator concluded.