Zelenskyy Offers Demilitarized Zone in Major Shift, Tied to Russian Withdrawal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signaled a significant potential concession for future peace talks. He stated he is open to discussing the creation of a demilitarized zone between Ukraine and Russia. However, this offer comes with a strict condition. Zelenskyy said any such zone would require Russian forces to pull back to their positions from before the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The proposal represents a notable shift in publicly stated terms. It emerges as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to insist that his own hardline demands must form the starting point for any negotiations. A demilitarized zone is an area where military forces and weapons are banned. Such zones are often used as buffers between conflicting parties to reduce the risk of renewed fighting. There has been no immediate public response from the Kremlin to Zelenskyy's conditional offer. The development highlights the deeply opposing conditions each side has set for any potential peace process.