Ukraine has proposed the creation of a demilitarized zone jointly controlled by Kiev and Moscow, the US special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said yesterday in an interview with Fox News. Kellogg, according to international media reports, spoke of a buffer zone, where both sides would withdraw 15 kilometers, creating a 30-kilometer zone monitored by observers from third countries.
The US envoy said the agreement could be accompanied by a "permanent" ceasefire, meaning both sides would retain control of currently occupied territory.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin demands that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for the third day in a row, forcing most of the Russian capital's airports to close hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to fly in for a high-profile visit, which Kiev has made clear it opposes.
Xi, whose country buys more Russian oil and gas than any other, and who has helped Moscow evade Western sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine, is due to arrive on Wednesday evening.
Asked during a press conference about airstrikes by both sides on each other's capitals, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman did not comment on Xi's trip, saying only that the "top priority" was to avoid an escalation of tensions.
For its part, the Kremlin said that the attempted Ukrainian attacks on Moscow showed Kiev's tendency to commit "acts of terrorism" and that Russian intelligence services and the military were doing everything necessary to ensure the security of the upcoming anniversary commemorations.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that Russia had launched its own airstrike on Kiev overnight, killing a mother and her son. Russia says it only targets military targets.
Debris from the crashed drones set fires in apartments and buildings in three of Kiev's neighborhoods, killing two more people. Four children were among seven people injured in the drone strike in Kiev, which came just hours after Russia fired missiles at the Ukrainian capital, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. (A2 Televizion)
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