Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of establishing a demilitarized zone in the war with Russia.
Zelensky said that the idea of a demilitarized zone is "dead" and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire, European Pravda reported.
The idea of a demilitarized zone as a potential solution to Russia's war in Ukraine was first floated by United States special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. During a Fox News interview on May 7, Kellogg said that Kyiv had proposed creating a demilitarized zone jointly controlled by Ukraine and Russia.
Kellogg described the proposal as a buffer zone with both sides pulling back 15 kilometers, creating a 30-kilometer area monitored by observers from third countries.
At the press conference, Zelensky suggested that Ukraine did not propose creating a demilitarized zone, contradicting Kellogg's statements.
"The question of the demilitarized zone, the disengagement of troops, I heard about it in the media and not only in the media, from many different people, from many intelligence agencies. Officially, Ukraine did not receive anything like that. But... everyone is looking for opportunities to conduct experiments on us," Zelensky said.
Zelensky also commented on the complexities of the frontline situation and logistical challenges of a demilitarized zone.
"The issue of a demilitarized zone of 15 km in both directions - and why 15? And from which line will we count, from the border, from which contact line... Even if we talk about 15 km, what will we do with Kherson? This means that there will be no our troops in Kherson. If there will be no our troops in Kherson - we will not have Kherson," the president said.
According to Zelensky, establishing a demilitarized zone would jeopardize Kyiv's control of key Ukrainian cities.
"If... we agree to a buffer zone and withdraw 15 kilometers from cities like Kherson, Kharkiv, and Sumy, everyone will have what seems to be peace, but the war will continue in them, because artillery will fly over them. Therefore, it is premature to talk about this today and the idea is currently dead," Zelensky said.
At the same press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine and its European allies demanded that Russia agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting on May 12. However, the Kremlin said that it will reject a ceasefire for as long as Ukraine receives Western weapons.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
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