Zelenskyy open to Donetsk troop pullback if Russia mirrors move

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Kyiv could consider withdrawing its troops from the Donetsk region, but only on the condition of a mirror withdrawal by Russian forces, the Novosti.LIVE television channel reports.

According to the report, such a step had previously been demanded of Ukraine by both the United States and Russia.

“Any possible withdrawal must be mirror-like — Ukraine pulls back by the same distance as Russia. A free economic zone should be established there: no heavy weapons and no troops,” Zelenskyy said.

In a post on his Telegram channel, Zelenskyy also outlined the most difficult points in the negotiations, naming territorial issues, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), and financing for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

The Ukrainian president added that security guarantees for Ukraine and the format of monitoring mechanisms also remain hard to agree on. According to him, Ukraine has already conveyed its vision to the United States, which is now expected to discuss it with Russia.

In addition, Zelenskyy said that consultations between Ukrainian and U.S. delegations are scheduled to take place in Florida in the near future.

By Khagan Isayev