Kyiv, December 12,2025: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that the United States has proposed Ukraine withdraw from parts of the eastern Donetsk region and establish a “special economic zone” or demilitarised area in the territory Kyiv currently controls, as part of ongoing efforts to shape a potential peace plan with Russia.
Addressing reporters in a candid briefing, Zelensky said territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remained the two most difficult unresolved issues in the US-drafted proposal.
The Ukrainian leader acknowledged Washington’s desire for a quick end to the conflict, but warned that Russia had shown no genuine intention to stop the war. “The final mile is the hardest. Everything could fall apart for many reasons,” he cautioned.
Zelensky said Russia has demanded that Ukraine relinquish control of about 30% of the Donetsk region it still holds—an offer Kyiv has repeatedly rejected. According to him, the latest US idea involves Ukrainian forces pulling back from parts of Donetsk while Russia commits not to advance into the vacated zones.
The area would become either a special economic zone or a demilitarised zone, Zelensky said, adding that the concept raises significant concerns.
“It would not be fair for Ukrainians to withdraw unilaterally. Russia must also pull back by the same distance. What will restrain Russia from advancing? Or from infiltrating disguised as civilians?” he asked, warning that these were “very serious concerns” and that Ukraine might not accept the proposal at all.
Zelensky suggested that any final decision might require elections or a referendum to give Ukrainians the final say.
The future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, remains another contentious point. The facility has been under Russian control since March 2022 and sits directly on the frontline.
Zelensky said a possible solution could involve Russian forces withdrawing and Kyiv sharing control of the plant with the United States, though he admitted it remains unclear whether Moscow would agree to such an arrangement—or how it would function in practice.
Zelensky indicated that US President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the complexities of the conflict, and Kyiv fears Washington may ultimately impose a compromise tilted in Moscow’s favour.
Although the US wants a “quicker conclusion,” Zelensky stressed that no deadlines have been imposed for reaching an agreement. Ukraine has been pushing for an immediate ceasefire, given nightly Russian aerial attacks, but Russia is believed to prefer delaying a truce as its forces continue small but steady advances.
Zelensky said that after multiple rounds of talks, “the Americans are now aligned with Moscow” on delaying a ceasefire, reflecting a shift that is causing deep unease in Kyiv.
Russia has remained largely tight-lipped but has tried to project the impression that Moscow and Washington are drawing closer on the framework of a potential agreement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump for attempting to broker a deal and claimed that a recent Kremlin meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff had resolved “misunderstandings” between the two sides.
Lavrov dismissed the idea of foreign troops stationed in Ukraine as security guarantees for Kyiv, criticising it as a return to Zelensky’s “so-called peace formula.” He said Russia had offered the US additional proposals on collective security and was prepared to give legal guarantees not to attack NATO or EU countries—assurances European governments view with deep scepticism.
Zelensky said he received a draft proposal on American security guarantees, but the document remains incomplete and appears to fall short of what Ukraine considers necessary.
“The US does not want Ukraine in NATO. They say this openly… So I do not think they have difficulties discussing NATO with the Russians,” he noted, adding that Ukraine must be cautious: “We do not know what other agreements the US may have with Russia. We will learn in time.”
He warned that Ukraine could eventually lose US military and intelligence support, stressing the fragile nature of the moment.
“No one knows what may happen the day after tomorrow… We do not know how these negotiations will end,” Zelensky concluded.
