«Free economic zone» in Donbas: Sybiha says if Ukraine will agree

Ukraine is considering the possibility of establishing such a zone as one of the options to break the deadlock in negotiations with Russia.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said this during a public interview at the «New Country» platform, according to LB.ua.

He emphasized that such a step must be based solely on national legislation and the norms of international law. He said the main priority remains adherence to a modality acceptable to Kyiv, one that will not allow concessions on key state issues.

«There can be no initiatives or formulas at the cost of Ukrainian sovereignty. This is clear and not up for discussion, ” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in response to a question on possible compromises.

He said de-escalation requires steps from both sides. On the change in wording from «free» to «special» zone, Sybiha noted it was about finding a workable formula for the peace process. He said the term «zone» implies a defined space for economic measures.

«One option to break the deadlock is to find a way, based on international and Ukrainian law, for a possible special economic zone, ” the foreign minister concluded.

Sybiha said Ukraine is still defending its «red lines» and is working on legal mechanisms to move talks forward without harming national interests. He stressed that such zones are not political concessions but instruments for stabilization and future recovery as part of the wider strategy of de-occupation and reintegration.