Zelenskyy says US seeking ‘free economic zone’ in eastern Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims that the United States is pushing for Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the Donetsk region, a move he says will effectively cede control of eastern Ukraine to Russia. The proposal has been met with skepticism by Ukrainian officials, who argue that any territorial concessions would require the approval of Ukrainian citizens through a referendum.

According to Zelenskyy, the US envisions a "free economic zone" in areas currently under Kyiv's control but controlled by Moscow-backed forces. This plan seems to be an attempt by Washington to create a buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia, with minimal territorial concessions from Ukraine. The Ukrainian president has pushed back against this idea, stating that any such withdrawal of troops would require a clear explanation on how it will prevent Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy's comments were made after talks with US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and special envoy Steve Witkoff. The Ukrainian president emphasized the importance of concrete security guarantees to allay concerns about Russia's intentions.

Meanwhile, NATO chief Mark Rutte warned that Russia could be ready to use military force against the alliance within five years, urging member states to rapidly increase defense spending and production. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also stated that talks between US and Russian officials were planned for this weekend, with a possible international meeting on Ukraine happening at the start of next week.

The White House has announced that US President Donald Trump will send a representative to these talks if there is a real chance of signing a peace agreement. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump was "extremely frustrated" with both sides and "sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting."

In a recent call, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to be holding the strategic initiative on the battlefield, citing the capture of Siversk in the Donetsk region by Russian troops. However, Ukrainian officials have denied these claims, stating that Russia is attempting to infiltrate the city with small groups of troops.

Ukraine has also launched significant drone attacks against Russian targets, including an oil rig in the Caspian Sea belonging to Lukoil, which was hit multiple times and halted production from over 20 wells.

I don't think it's a good idea for Ukraine to agree to any kind of withdrawal... but at the same time, I'm like "hey, maybe they should just give some space to Russia" . I mean, what if the US is actually trying to help Ukraine by giving them a buffer zone? But on the other hand, if that happens, it could be seen as a sign of weakness and Russia would totally exploit it . And what about those Ukrainian citizens who want their region back? Shouldn't they have a say in the matter? I'm all for Ukraine having control over its own territory, but if that means giving some ground to Russia... ugh, I don't know . Maybe the US and Russia should just talk it out and see what happens? But then again, what if Putin's trying to trick everyone and we're all just getting played ? Ugh, politics is so confusing !

I don't think it's a good idea for Ukraine to agree to any kind of withdrawal of forces from the Donetsk region . I mean, Russia has already shown its intentions by capturing Siversk in the first place, so what's to stop them from just taking more? And yeah, I get that the US is trying to create a buffer zone or something, but if Ukraine doesn't stand firm on this, it'll be like they're giving up . I'm all for security guarantees and all that, but you can't put a price on your country's sovereignty . And honestly, I think NATO's warning about Russia being ready to use military force in 5 years is kinda realistic . We should be preparing for the worst-case scenario instead of trying to negotiate our way out of this situation .

I'm totally confused about what's going on with Ukraine ... like they're gonna just hand over some land to Russia? No way, dude! Zelenskyy is right to push back on this idea, especially if it means putting Ukrainian lives at risk. And another thing, why does Trump even care about Ukraine anymore? Like, he's out of office now...

I'm also kinda worried about NATO and Germany, they need to step up their game . If Russia is ready to use military force in five years, that means we're living on borrowed time .

But what really gets me is how all this back-and-forth between the US and Russia is just creating more tension... like, can't they just talk things out?

And omg, have you seen those drone attacks Ukraine has been doing? Like, totally savage! I'm rooting for them all the way .

Anywayz, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next... but one thing's for sure: it's gonna be a wild ride .

I gotta say, I think Zelenskyy's all wet on this one . Like, if the US is pushing for Ukraine to withdraw its forces, that means they're actually trying to help them out, not betray them . And a "free economic zone" sounds like a sweet deal to me - less bureaucracy and red tape for businesses, more freedom to trade .

And can we talk about how Russia's always got something to say? Like, Putin claims he's holding the strategic initiative, but really, it's Ukraine who's been putting up one heck of a fight . I mean, Siversk might have fallen, but that doesn't mean they've won .

As for NATO, yeah, Germany needs to get its act together and stop messing around - if Russia's gonna be ready to use military force in five years, we'd better be too . And let's not forget Ukraine has been taking it on the chin for months now, so a little bit of help wouldn't hurt .

Trump's coming to talk it out? That sounds like just what we need - more meetings and more empty promises . I'm calling BS from both sides...

I'm so done with these talks . Like, can't we just get a clear plan for ending this war already? I mean, the US wants Ukraine to withdraw its forces but not really give anything up, that sounds like a total cop-out . And now Putin's claiming he's got the upper hand on the battlefield, lol like, we all know how that's going to play out . Ukraine needs some solid security guarantees and then maybe - just maybe - we can talk about peace agreements . The White House is sending Trump's rep because, of course, it has to be about drama . And let's not forget, Russia might use military force against NATO in 5 years? that's a whole lot of uncertainty . Can't we just focus on supporting Ukraine and finding a solution without all the backroom dealings?

omg ukrainians r so brave lol i mean its crazy what zelenskyy said about us trying 2 push them 2 withdraw troops lol sounds like us just want a buffer zone between ukraine & russia idc but like seriously dont ukrainians get to decide wut happens on their land?? i feel for the ppl livin in that area tho, all this fighting & uncertainty is so stressful

I'm not sure what's going on here... it seems like everyone's trying to figure out if they're just giving away Ukraine or what . I mean, Zelenskyy says the US is pushing for him to withdraw troops, but honestly, who really knows? The whole thing feels a bit murky.

On one hand, I get why Trump's sending someone to talks - maybe he'll actually get something done. But on the other hand, it sounds like both sides are just trying to save face. Putin says they're holding the strategic initiative, but we all know how that works out . And what about those drone attacks? Ukraine seems to be pushing back hard, which is kinda cool I guess.

NATO's warning about Russia getting ready to use military force within five years feels legit though . We can't just ignore the possibility of things escalating further. It's all a bit of a mess, but hey, at least there are some people trying to make things happen. Fingers crossed it doesn't end in disaster

I'm so over these diplomatic talks . It feels like we're just circling each other on this Ukraine mess. The US is pushing for a 'free economic zone' in areas controlled by Moscow-backed forces? That's like offering Russia a cookie, hoping they'll take it and forget about the whole eastern Ukraine thing . And what's with all these back-and-forth meetings between US and Russian officials? It's just fueling the fire .

Ukraine's president is right to push for concrete security guarantees, but I'm not holding my breath . Meanwhile, NATO's Mark Rutte is warning about Russia being ready to use military force in five years? That's just more fear-mongering .

I wish these leaders would focus on actual solutions rather than trying to save face . And what's up with Trump's rep showing up if there's a real chance of signing a peace agreement? Sounds like he's just looking for a photo op . Anyway, the fact that Ukraine is launching drone attacks against Russian targets is a bold move, I guess . But we'll see how that plays out...

so this whole thing is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, right? US wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops so Russia doesn't get all upset, but then they don't want to give up any actual territory . Meanwhile, Putin's just over here claiming he's got the upper hand, but really he's just hiding behind some small groups of troops trying not to get caught . And what's with the US sending Trump to these talks? I guess that's like sending a mediator who's also a master of deal-making... or just someone who's really good at making excuses for why they didn't do anything .

this whole thing is just so complicated... like, can't we all just get along? i mean, zelenskyy's right that the us wants a buffer zone, but it feels like they're just trying to prop up russia without actually doing anything about their aggression. and then russian putin's all like "oh, we've got this under control" meanwhile, ukraine's just trying to defend itself and its people. can't we see that everyone's losing?

and don't even get me started on trump showing up to talks... yeah, because that's exactly what we need – more drama and division. it feels like the whole situation is being manipulated by both sides just to serve their own interests.

just got out of a meeting with some friends about this whole situation... it's like, what even is a free economic zone? sounds like washington just wants to give up on ukraine . don't get me wrong, i'm all for peace and stability, but let's not forget who's been occupying eastern ukraine since 2014. zelenskyy has a point about security guarantees though - you can't just pull out troops without knowing what's gonna happen next . it's like they're playing chess with russia here...

this whole thing is super suspicious... like why would the US want Ukraine to just give up its land for a "free economic zone"? sounds like they're trying to create some kinda buffer zone so Russia can't get too close, but what's in it for them? and now they're saying Trump is gonna send someone to these talks if there's even a chance of a peace agreement... seems like the US is just trying to get out of this whole thing without actually doing anything to help Ukraine

I'm so done with all these peace talks . Like what's the point of even negotiating if one side is just gonna give up? Ukraine shouldn't be forced into anything that makes them compromise on their own territory. They need security guarantees not some fancy-schmancy free economic zone . It's like, don't Russia have enough to deal with already? And what about all the drone attacks they launched against Russian targets? That's some serious payback right there! I'm not saying it's gonna be easy, but come on guys, get your priorities straight!

I don't trust these negotiations... They just want Ukraine to surrender so Russia can say they won. The US is trying to create a buffer zone but what about Ukraine's sovereignty? It's like they're trading away their future for some vague promise of security. The West needs to stop playing games with war and start giving concrete support to Ukraine instead of talking it up from behind the scenes

I'm worried about Ukraine's situation . It seems like everyone's trying to play a game of chess with Russia without actually putting their money where their mouth is . Zelenskyy's right to push for concrete security guarantees, but on the other hand, you can't blame Russia for wanting some sort of buffer zone . The thing that really gets me is how quickly everyone's talking about making deals and sending reps, when Ukraine's still got troops fighting for their lives on the ground .

I'm not sure if US President Trump's representative will make a difference or just go through the motions . And have you seen the numbers of Russian troops in Siversk? It's like they're trying to test Ukrainian defenses . What I really want is for world leaders to stop talking about Ukraine and actually take action . We need concrete solutions, not more empty promises . Can we please just get to the bottom of this already?!