Zelenskyy: People of Ukraine should answer question about territories of Donetsk region
The Ukrainian people should answer the question about the territories of Donetsk region through elections or a referendum, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"I believe the Ukrainian people will answer this question. Whether through elections or a referendum, the Ukrainian people must take a position. We'll see how this all plays out. Right now, I believe, a lot depends on our army. What the Ukrainian military can deter, how they can position themselves, where they can destroy the invader. This affects the entire diplomatic framework," Zelenskyy said during a media conference on Thursday.
According to the president, the American side's vision regarding the territories of Donetsk region is that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will withdraw from the territory, and Russian troops will not enter it.
"This is roughly what the United States' compromise vision currently looks like. When we talk about a 'free economic zone' and how there can't be troops there because they're a certain distance apart, it's probably fair to ask: if someone withdraws somewhere on one side, as the Ukrainians want, then why doesn't the other side withdraw the same distance in the other direction? There are also questions about the management of these territories, 'on both sides of the contact line,' if someone seems to withdraw," Zelenskyy said.
The president noted that there should be some kind of monitoring in this regard.
