Kremlin rejects third-party administration of Donbas
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, December 19, 2025 (Photo: Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Aug. 25 that no third party could administer Donbas, effectively signaling Moscow’s rejection of a reported proposal to establish a buffer zone in the region.
Peskov made the comments to Russian news agency Interfax.
The Times reported earlier that Ukraine was promoting the idea of a buffer zone in Donbas as part of a joint peace proposal being developed with the United States.
Peskov falsely described Ukraine’s Donbas as “territory of the Russian Federation” and said that “it is hardly possible for any third party to administer regions of the Russian Federation.”
Russia illegally claims sovereignty over occupied parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
Ukraine submits peace proposals to U.S.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Aug. 11 that Ukraine’s negotiating team had submitted proposals to the United States on further steps aimed at increasing pressure on Russia and bringing the war closer to an end.
“We handed our proposals to the American side,” Zelenskyy said after receiving a report from Ukraine’s negotiating team on its discussions with U.S. officials.
In a CNN interview published on Aug. 12, Zelenskyy declined to disclose details of the new proposals but said Ukraine needed greater U.S. involvement.
“We need more active participation from the American side in the peace plan,” he said.
The Times reported on Aug. 24 that Kyiv, representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump and European officials had developed a plan to end the war.
The proposal reportedly calls for a ceasefire, a mutual withdrawal of Russian and Ukrainian forces from the front line and the creation of a buffer zone.
“As far as we know, the American side has several more ideas,” Zelenskyy said. “They want to find the right moment to present them. We are waiting for them.”
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