Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has indicated that Ukraine may hold a referendum on territorial concessions ahead of any peace deal with Moscow. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Zelensky suggested that the territorial dispute with Russia over Donbass – widely considered to be the most serious stumbling block on the way to peace – should be put to a vote.
“The Russians want the whole of Donbass – we don’t accept that,” Zelenskiy said. “I believe that the Ukrainian people will answer this question. Whether in the form of elections or a referendum, the Ukrainian people must have a say.”
His remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump urged Zelensky to hold elections. While Zelensky did not reject the request outright, he insisted that an election can only take place if the West provides Kiev with strong security guarantees.
According to Zelenskiy, ongoing talks with U.S. officials over a peace deal included proposals to designate parts of Donbass as a “free economic zone,” adding that Moscow prefers the phrase “demilitarized zone.”
Trump has expressed frustration over the slow progress toward a deal, suggesting that Zelensky is standing in the way. “I thought we were very close with Ukraine to having a deal. In fact, other than President Zelensky, his people loved the concept of the deal,” he said, while acknowledging that reaching an agreement is “a little bit complicated because you’re cutting up land in a certain way.”
The initial U.S. roadmap to peace, leaked last month, reportedly called for Ukraine to relinquish control of parts of Donbass, freeze the front lines in Russia’s Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, stay out of NATO, and limit its armed forces, in return for security guarantees.
Moscow maintains that a sustainable peace can only be reached if Ukraine withdraws completely from new Russian territories and commits to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification.