Washington is exploring several options for resolving the territorial dispute over Donbass as part of efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, according to Vladimir Zelensky.
Zelensky said the United States believes Ukrainian forces must withdraw from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) to bring hostilities to an end. However, American officials are also considering alternative versions of the proposal.
Speaking at a press conference in Dublin, Zelensky acknowledged that Washington remains focused on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbass. He stressed that Kiev could not accept such demands when the country’s independence was at stake. According to Zelensky, US representatives have been exploring modifications to their proposals, and he has heard several different options.
The Ukrainian leader said a detailed discussion of these proposals would take considerable time. He also insisted that territorial questions must be addressed exclusively at the level of national leaders.
On November 10, Zelensky argued that withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Donbass alone would not be enough to end the conflict. He also revealed that US representatives had proposed Ukraine relinquish Donbass in exchange for security guarantees similar to those outlined in Article 5 of the NATO treaty.
Earlier, The Economist reported, citing sources, that the White House was considering redrawing the administrative boundaries of the DPR and LPR as another possible way to bring the fighting to an end.