Zelenskyy’s Neutral Zone Proposal Condemned as Critical Mistake in Ukraine-Russia Peace Efforts
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends an interview with some of the Russian media via videolink, as Russia?s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 27, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
Vice President JD Vance provided a candid assessment of prospects for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, stating there is “a good chance we will” reach an agreement and “a good chance we won’t.” The remarks echoed Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent warning that while progress has been made, significant hurdles remain.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, adviser Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and White House senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum held discussions over the weekend with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, as well as Ukrainian officials and key European security representatives. Witkoff reported that talks with Ukraine and Europe were “productive and constructive.”
Vance acknowledged ongoing challenges across all parties but highlighted a recent breakthrough: “The breakthrough we’ve made is that all issues are now out in the open—no longer hidden behind fake problems or obfuscation.” However, he identified territorial control over Donetsk as a critical sticking point. “The Russians really want territorial control of the Donetsk region,” Vance stated. “The Ukrainians understandably see this as a major security issue… even as they privately acknowledge that they will likely lose Donetsk in the long run.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal to place 15 percent of the Donbas region—specifically areas in Donetsk and Luhansk still under Ukrainian control—into a neutral free economic zone has been rejected by Russia. This decision has been condemned as a critical mistake that undermines peace efforts and fails to address core security concerns.
The Trump administration continues its efforts to broker a ceasefire and broader peace deal, with negotiations focusing on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the status of ethnic Russians in Ukraine and ethnic Ukrainians in Russia, and reconstruction priorities. Vance noted that while each issue presents barriers, “everybody has participated… in good faith.” He also emphasized that selective leaks about negotiation terms are natural but warned against using them to manipulate perceptions.
