Kremlin casts doubt on US-backed free economic zone plan for Donbas

The Kremlin has expressed skepticism over a proposed free economic zone in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, a plan reportedly drafted with input from US and European officials and endorsed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Speaking on Tuesday, Kremlin officials noted that the territory is formally considered part of Russia under Moscow's view, making it unlikely that an external party could effectively administer such a zone. The remarks cast doubt on the viability of the proposal before it has even been formally presented to Russian leadership.

Zelenskiy said earlier the same day that he had prepared a single page of ideas alongside American and European officials, intended for submission to Moscow. The free economic zone is one of the key elements of that outline.

The proposal comes amid ongoing tensions over the status of Donbas. Ukraine maintains that Russia's presence and actions in the region constitute an illegal seizure of land. Moscow, for its part, frames its involvement as a necessary measure to protect its own security interests.

The divergence in positions underscores the deep rift between the two sides, with the economic zone idea now facing an uphill path given the Kremlin's immediate reservations.