US proposed demilitarized zones in Donbas and Kinburn Spit, Zelenskyy says

The United States proposed creating demilitarized zones in Donbas and on the Kinburn Spit in Mykolaiv region during peace negotiations involving Ukraine and Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalists on Wednesday, October 28. Zelenskyy said Washington offered various alternatives to resolve territorial issues, starting with a 28-point peace plan, including a buffer or demilitarized zone on both sides of the contact line in Donbas. Discussions also covered the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and land swap formats. Zelenskyy has stated Russia occupies less than 20% of Ukrainian territory and expressed readiness for a deal freezing hostilities along the current front line, though Kyiv will never recognize occupied territories as Russian. The Institute for the Study of War confirmed Putin seeks Ukraine's full capitulation with demands beyond Donbas.