The United States has often raised the issue of Donbas in talks and focused on the idea that Ukraine should leave its own land in order to stop the war. But that is impossible, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a briefing during a visit to Ireland on 11 November.
The US is trying to find some modifications to the relevant proposal. The President said he had heard various modifications.
“It depends on the will of the American side: whether to put pressure on the Russians or not. It depends on the format of the dialogue with the Russians. But in any case, we must not only discuss such sensitive issues, but resolve them and speak about them at leaders’ level. But for that we need positive signals from the American side and support from the Russian side,” he said.
The President said the American side had flown to Russia for a meeting with Vladimir Putin with specifics. He hopes they will return with specifics too, but does not really believe it. Kyiv is expecting at least a decision on a large-scale prisoner exchange: if not everyone for everyone, then at least 1,000 for 1,000, 1,200 for 1,200.
Zelenskyy added that for both Europe and the US, as mediators, it is mutually beneficial to make progress in settling the war in Ukraine this year.
Ukraine wants Europe to be a full participant in the next talks with Russia. At present, not only Ukraine and Europe support this, but the United States as well.
Context
Russia continues to link the issue of a ceasefire to territories. During previous rounds of talks, the Russians demanded that Ukraine withdraw its army from the whole of Donbas, including its free part. Russia also wants to закрепить for itself Crimea and the occupied parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Ukraine is ready to cease fire along the current lines. The US is proposing the creation of a demilitarised zone in the unoccupied part of Donbas.