In the latest bid to bring an end to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has put forth a new peace proposal. The plan, which hinges on the cooperation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggests transforming the hotly contested Donbas region into a demilitarized zone. This would entail the withdrawal of both Russian and Ukrainian troops from the area.

The Donbas region, a focal point in the conflict, is home to approximately three million Russian-speaking residents. According to the last comprehensive census conducted in Ukraine back in 2001, the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, which encompass the Donbas, housed over 38 million ethnic Russians, within a national population nearing 50 million at the time.

A key element of Zelensky’s proposal includes establishing a “free economic zone” in this region. However, the success of such a plan would require not only Ukraine but also Russia to pull back their military forces, creating a neutral area for economic development.

Ukraine has indicated that the United States is supportive of this initiative, though the Trump administration has yet to publicly comment on the matter as of now. This silence leaves the international community speculating about the potential impact and feasibility of Zelensky’s plan.

The territorial dispute across the Donbas, the eastern flank of Ukraine where some of the heaviest fighting is raging, is one of the chief sticking points in the latest version of a plan to end the conflict drafted with the U.S. Kyiv worries that surrendering fortified positions in the area could make it easier for Russia to stage further attacks. Several attempts have already been made to break the impasse, but to no avail.

The Donbas, we might note, is home to as many as three million Russian-speaking people. The only modern census of Ukraine was done in 2001, and at that time recorded over 38 million ethnic Russians in the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, which include the Donbas region. This is out of a total Ukrainian population approaching 50 million.

Ukraine claims that the United States is willing to go along with the deal, although as of this writing, the Trump administration hasn’t said anything about this latest proposal.

Zelensky said Kyiv is now mostly aligned with Washington on the plan, but that Ukraine says a meeting with President Trump is needed to iron out some of the elements. He said he was also ready to explain Ukraine’s position to the Russian side as well.

“We are ready for a meeting with the United States at the leaders’ level to address sensitive issues. Matters such as territorial questions must be discussed at the leaders’ level,” Zelensky said. 

Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from territories in the Donetsk region as part of a deal to end the war, but Kyiv previously said it has no moral right or constitutional leeway to give up Ukrainian territory. The U.S. is looking for a compromise in creating a “free economic zone” in the area.

This “free economic zone” in President Zelensky’s latest proposal would require not just Ukraine, but Russia to withdraw as well.