Washington is telling Ukraine to pull back their troops from Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts close to the eastern border of the proposed demilitarized zone.
The Financial Times reported, citing a Ukrainian official that Donald Trump is not telling Moscow to withdraw troops.
Vladimir Putin held a meeting with military leadership and has ordered that his troops continue to fight and advance.
The US President’s original 28-point peace plan, which was accepted by the Kremlin, had called for a “neutral, demilitarized buffer zone” to be established once Ukrainian troops withdraw from the Donbas region and the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, in preparation for Kyiv to cede territory.
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Kyiv has said that the Trump administration is wanting to create a zone which is modelled on the North and South Korea armistice, this was signed 72-years ago, the Kyiv Independent reported.
However, according to the FT the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sees a demilitarised zone as a frozen conflict, this will enable Russian troops to regroup to launch a new offensive.
Putin has ordered that all Russian forces to “continue to carry out war tasks and are advancing confidently across the entire front.”
The Russian dictator wants his forces to continue with the war until all objectives are met within his so-called special military operation.
Putin said during the military briefing, “Commanders of the group of forces must continue to carry out tasks in strict accordance with the plan of the special military operation.”
The US President has said that before he meets with President Zelensky he wants “answers” before any meeting to discuss peace.
European official want to arrange a meeting prior to Zelensky meeting Trump in Washington and they and US officials are hopeful there will be a new peace plan that will suit both the Kremlin’s and Kyiv interests.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday, “We discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words, and we’ll see what happens.
“I mean, we’re waiting to hear answers.”
European officials want to hold a meeting with Trump and Zelensky in Europe this weekend.
Trump said, “They would like us to go to a meeting over the weekend in Europe, and we’ll make a determination depending on what they come back with.
“We don’t want to be wasting time.”
The Kyiv Independent reported, Trump has not discussed any details of the proposed peace plan, but said Zelensky has to be “realistic,” perhaps suggesting once again Ukraine will have to cede the Donbas to Putin, he also suggested that there needs to be elections.
The US President said, “I think (Zelensky) has to be realistic and I do wonder about, how long is it going to be before they have an election.
“It’s a democracy. It’s been a long time.”
Zelensky said, “I will not allow any speculation against Ukraine.
“If our partners, including our key partner in Washington, talk so much and so specifically about the elections in Ukraine, about elections under martial law, then we must provide legitimate Ukrainian answers to every question and every doubt.”
