Zelenskyy for ‘honest’ work on US-backed plan

PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY said after talks with a top US Army official on Thursday he was ready for “honest” work with Washington on a plan to end the war in Ukraine, while European allies pushed back against punishing concessions to Russia.

- OLENA HARMASH, MAX HUNDER AND GRAM SLATTERY

According to the US-backed plan, seen by Reuters, Kyiv would be required to give up the entire Donbas region and significantly downsize its military, conditions long seen by Ukraine’s allies as tantamount to capitulation.

The plan says Ukraine would have to limit its army to 600,000 troops and that it would “receive robust security guarantees,’ without providing further details.

It makes several concessions to Russia, including that Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk will be recognised as de facto Russian by the US and that Ukrainian forces will withdraw from part of the Donetsk region that they control.