Representatives of the Ukrainian presidential office explained to journalists today that their colleagues from the French newspaper "Le Monde" had misinterpreted the words of Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the presidential office of Volodymyr Zelensky, by assuming that Ukraine is ready to agree to the creation of a demilitarized zone in the Donetsk region, Ukrinform reported, BTA reported.
"Whether Ukraine agrees or not (to the creation of a buffer zone in the Donetsk region) can only be decided at the highest political level or by the people of Ukraine; "The president said this to journalists yesterday," explained Dmytro Lytvyn, a public relations adviser to the Ukrainian president.
Yesterday, Zelensky told journalists that the United States is proposing the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the territories it still controls in the Donetsk region, and demilitarization and the creation of a "free economic zone" in this area. According to Zelensky, the Americans are proposing the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the territory of the Donetsk region, and the alleged compromise is that Russian forces will not enter that part of the region that is currently under Kiev's control.
The United States calls this territory a "free economic zone" or "demilitarized zone", although control over it remains undefined. According to Zelensky, this does not correspond to Kiev's interests, but the dialogue must continue.
The French newspaper "Le Monde" published an article yesterday claiming that Ukraine is ready to agree to the creation of a demilitarized zone in the Donetsk region as a means of ending the war, Ukrinform notes.