Zelenskyy unveils "peace plan"

Zelensky stated that he hopes Russia will respond to the new plan by the evening of the 25th. Russia has not yet commented on this.

On the 24th, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov did not respond to the specific content of the draft plan. He told reporters that the United States is already well aware of Russia's main demands. He also said that Russia is committed to "formulating our subsequent position in the near future through existing channels that are still operational and continuing relevant contacts."

Multiple media outlets, including CNN, believe that regarding several key issues where disagreements previously existed, Zelensky's new draft plan signals "compromise."

Territorial Issues

One of the main differences in negotiations concerning the Ukraine crisis is the territorial issue. Zelensky's new draft plan avoids direct statements on the final political status of the Donbas region, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and other areas, proposing only the principle framework of "freezing the status quo and international supervision," indicating this issue will be postponed for resolution; arrangements concerning the Donbas region, including whether to establish a demilitarized zone, a "free economic zone," and whether to introduce special governance mechanisms at the local level, currently remain only at the level of options.

The United States has not yet responded to the new plan. The American newspaper The New York Times believes that although Ukraine's above-mentioned position involves some compromise compared to before, even if fully accepted by the U.S., it could still be rejected by Russia. Russia previously stated its intention to fully control the Donetsk region of Donbas.

Regarding the fiercely contested Donetsk region, previous negotiations explored various solutions. According to media reports, the "peace plan" reached between the U.S. and Russia last month required Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the areas they control locally and planned to turn these places into a neutral demilitarized zone. In the new plan, Zelensky agrees to establish a demilitarized zone locally, but on the condition that not only Ukrainian troops withdraw from the areas they currently control, but Russian troops must also correspondingly withdraw from the areas they control locally.

The Donetsk region has several heavily fortified cities, which Ukraine views as a "fortress belt" preventing Russian forces from advancing deep into Ukraine's core areas from the east. According to The New York Times, militarily, the consequences of abandoning this region are unacceptable for Ukraine. Surrendering local control not only involves complex issues such as relocating residents but would also severely damage the morale of the entire Ukrainian nation.

Given the above reasons, Zelensky said that the final decision on whether to establish a demilitarized zone locally will be determined by a Ukrainian national referendum. He also stated that at least 60 days are needed to complete the national referendum, therefore requiring 60 days of "genuine ceasefire"; otherwise, a referendum producing legitimate results would be impossible.

Nuclear Power Plant Issue

Furthermore, Russia is likely to find it difficult to accept the arrangements for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the new plan. The draft plan mentions that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will be jointly operated by Ukraine, the United States, and Russia. After the full-scale escalation of the Ukraine crisis in February 2022, the nuclear power plant came under Russian control.

According to The Washington Post, Russian media and analysts are not optimistic about this new plan. Russian military blogger Alexander Kots believes the plan is doomed to "fail" because Russia will not accept Ukraine maintaining an 800,000-strong army, arrangements for the Donetsk region, and other contents.

An article in the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda considers the above-mentioned plan "false" because the draft's 20 points completely fail to mention the consensus reached during the meeting between the Russian and U.S. leaders in Alaska, USA, this August.