Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected the idea of a buffer zone between Ukrainian and Russian forces as part of a peace agreement, saying it did not reflect the realities of modern warfare, the BBC reported, quoted by BTA.
"Only those who do not understand the technological state of today's warfare propose a buffer zone," he told reporters yesterday.
His comments followed reports suggesting that European leaders are considering creating a 40-kilometer buffer zone as part of a ceasefire agreement or long-term agreement.
The war in Ukraine has become a conflict driven by the technology of drones, and Zelensky suggested that a buffer zone of sorts already existed due to the threat of drone strikes near the front line, the BBC reported.
According to a report in "Politico", European diplomats said that the proposal among military and civilian officials was to block a strip of land in Ukraine between the two forces.
But Zelensky said that there was already a zone on both sides of the front line where heavy artillery was unable to operate due to the risk of drone strikes.
"Today, our heavy weapons are positioned more than 10 km apart because everything is hit by drones," he said.
"This buffer - I call it a "dead zone", some call it a "gray zone" - it already exists."
Any such deal could also mean Ukraine giving up part of the territory in the zone, which Zelensky also rejected: "If Russia wants to move further away from us, it can retreat deep into the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine."