Zelenskyy Reaches Draft Peace Framework with the U.S. and Europe; Demilitarized Buffer Zone Proposed in Eastern Ukraine | WPN World People News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at a press conference on the 23rd a draft “peace plan” jointly developed with the United States and Europe. The plan consists of 20 points. Issues concerning territorial questions and control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remain under discussion, while broad consensus has reportedly been reached on most of the other points. One of the core proposals is the establishment of a “demilitarized zone” (DMZ) in Ukraine’s eastern industrial region (the Donbas) as a major compromise aimed at ending nearly four years of conflict.

Zelenskyy stated that the precondition for creating a DMZ in eastern Ukraine is a mutual withdrawal of forces by both sides. Troops would be pulled back from regions including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv to form a north–south demilitarized corridor. The U.S. has additionally proposed designating this area as a “free economic zone.” Zelenskyy emphasized that if cities such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk are included in the zone, Russian forces must also withdraw approximately 40 kilometers to establish a buffer area.

In addition, the proposal calls for the creation of a second demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the city of Enerhodar. Management of the plant would be handled by a joint venture between Ukraine and the United States, rather than a trilateral arrangement involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. Ukraine is also seeking security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5, hoping that the United States, Europe, and NATO member states would deploy forces to ensure that Ukraine receives military assistance from partner countries in the event of future aggression.

Russia has not yet responded. However, hardliners within Russia are expected to strongly oppose provisions related to control of Zaporizhzhia and NATO-linked clauses, making rejection by Moscow likely. Zelenskyy agreed to the draft under pressure from former U.S. President Donald Trump; if Russia still rejects the peace proposal, Trump would be compelled to increase military assistance to Ukraine and impose harsher sanctions on Russia. At present, all parties appear primarily focused on advancing their own interests—whether in ceasefire terms, troop withdrawals, reconstruction, development, or security guarantees. Achieving genuine peace will ultimately require one side to make meaningful concessions.