U.S.-backed Donbas pullback plan: Why it poses serious risks
- Open Media Ukraine
- 55 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Experts warn of strategic and security risks for Ukraine, as well as potential pitfalls for territorial control.
The U.S. peace plan proposes that only Ukraine withdraw its forces from demilitarized areas, while imposing no equivalent requirement on Russia.
The report comes from RBC-Ukraine, citing the Financial Times. TSN reports.
Under the plan, Ukraine would pull its troops out of 25% of Donetsk region and what remains of Luhansk region — areas critical to national defense and of major strategic and political value. This region, commonly known as Donbas, has long been a key industrial hub with mines and metallurgical plants.
The experts say such a withdrawal would allow the Kremlin to seize fortified Donbas cities without a fight — including Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka. In 2025, Ukraine invested more than $1 billion to reinforce this territory.
The United States is proposing the creation of a “neutral demilitarized zone,” but only after Ukraine pulls back its troops. Under the plan, the zone would be treated as Russian territory, even though Moscow’s forces are not supposed to be there. For Ukraine, this is unacceptable, as it creates the risk of a frozen conflict and the potential for renewed hostilities.
Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, notes that the plan offers no clear definition of what a “demilitarized zone” actually is. It remains unclear whether it requires a full troop pullback or merely a set distance from the frontline — and how drone or artillery activity would be monitored in those areas.
The experts warn that giving up Ukrainian territory without a fight would be extremely dangerous, as Russia is unlikely to stop at Donbas. Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, stresses that for Putin, Donbas is only one piece of a broader strategy to reassert Russia’s influence in Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains firm that surrendering Donbas is unacceptable — a stance backed by most analysts, who point to serious risks for the country’s security and territorial integrity.
