#LeMonde։ Ukraine is ready to agree to a demilitarized zone in Donbas

Ukraine is ready to agree to a demilitarized zone in Donbas as a concession to end the war, Le Monde reports․

According to Le Monde, "Kyiv has agreed to one of the main points of negotiations with the United States and Russia, agreeing to the creation of a demilitarized zone in Donbas." The concession, as stated, "has the support of European leaders" who seek to end the war.

"The concession was included in a revised US peace plan, prepared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and handed over to US President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening." French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Merz participated in drafting the proposal, the German Chancellor confirmed.

According to Kyiv, this demilitarized zone would force Ukrainian and Russian troops to withdraw their forces from both sides of the current front line in Donbas. This strategic region, a mining basin that Russia has been seeking since 2014, could come under the supervision of international forces, including the United States, to prevent any further Russian aggression.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President's office, says it remains to be determined what weapons will be withdrawn and what powers the international monitoring missions will have on the ground. Ideally, Ukraine would like to see the US involved to ensure control, intelligence, and compliance with the agreements.

"This is a natural format for ending the conflict, given that part of the territory will, unfortunately, remain under de facto Russian occupation, and the line of demarcation will be established in any case," he says.