“We remember previous zones under the Minsk agreements, which were used directly during this war starting in 2014,” Romanenko said. “There are international examples, so there was a desire [for such zones].”
He highlighted the risks, noting that the current line of contact includes fortified Ukrainian positions and strong defense areas.
“Now, it’s proposed to withdraw 40 kilometers everywhere. This means abandoning [fortified areas] in certain sections,” he said.
“You have to keep in mind that retreating 40 kilometers means moving into open fields—go ahead and build something there if you need it. In some areas, it could be like that.”
Romanenko stressed the need to carefully assess the entire front line during negotiations. “This is tough work involving the search for heavy, I emphasize, compromises, but it’s possible and necessary, so we must engage in it,” he added.
“But you see, [Russian dictator Vladimir] Putin shifted the focus in Anchorage, Alaska, from halting hostilities to a peace agreement.”
On Aug. 28, Politico reported that EU ministers would discuss deploying peacekeepers from a neutral country to patrol a demilitarized zone in Ukraine after a ceasefire, during a meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, this week.
Previously, Turkiye did not rule out sending its troops to Ukraine.
The United States and European countries are urgently developing security guarantees for Ukraine to pave the way for a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, following talks between Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Aug. 18, after a summit in Alaska.