Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country's eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end Russia's war, if Moscow also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarized zone monitored by international forces. He made the proposal Tuesday in conversations with reporters. It offered another potential compromise on control of the Donbas region, which has been a major sticking point in peace negotiations. Zelenskyy said the U.S. proposed the creation of a "free economic zone," which he said should be demilitarized. But it was unclear what that idea would mean for governance or development of the region.
By SAMYA KULLAB and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
President Donald Trump says it's possible that Ukraine can defeat Russia, but he's doubtful that it will happen. The latest comments from Trump added a fresh layer of skepticism toward Kyiv as he plans to meet again with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war. Trump on Monday said Ukrainians "could still win it" but added, "I don't think they will." Trump last month reversed his long-held position that Ukraine would have to concede land and said it could win back all the territory it has lost to Russia. But he changed his position again last week after holding a call with Putin and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that Ukraine controls as part of a ceasefire deal. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls because it was unconstitutional and would only serve as a springboard for a future Russian invasion. Zelenskyy said Putin wants the remaining 9,000 square kilometers (3,500 square miles) of Donetsk under Kyiv's control, where the war's toughest battles are grinding on, as part of a ceasefire plan. Doing so would hand Russia almost the entirety of the Donbas, a region comprising Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland that Putin has long coveted.
Civilians with small children in their arms and lugging heavy suitcases are fleeing Ukraine's eastern city of Pokrovsk, where the Russian army is bearing down fast despite a lightning Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region. Local authorities said Russian forces are advancing so quickly that families must leave the city and other nearby towns and villages from Tuesday. Around 53,000 people still live in Pokrovsk, officials say, and some decided to get out while they could as Russia's army menaces. People of all ages hastened to leave the city, boarding trains and buses with the belongings they could carry. Some wept as they waited to depart, and soldiers helped the elderly with their bags. Pokrovsk is one of Ukraine's main defensive strongholds.
