OTTAWA -- Europe is watching for a possible breakthrough in U.S.-led talks for a ceasefire in Ukraine, as Canada has repeatedly said it's up to Ukrainians to decide how the war ends.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told reporters he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end Russia's invasion, if Moscow also pulls back.
The proposal would involve creating a demilitarized, free economic zone monitored by international forces, as peace talks have focused intensely on control of the region.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand's office did not have an immediate comment on the proposal. But she has repeatedly said that democracies like Ukraine must be the ones deciding what their own interests are for territorial integrity and sovereignty.
At a talk earlier this month held by the Canadian Club in Toronto, Anand said it's not up to Ottawa to decide what peace formula works for Ukraine.
"Canada is not going to tell President Zelenskyy what geographical boundaries he should be adopting. That is a decision for Ukraine and President Zelenskyy," she said at the Dec. 12 event.
"What Anita Anand thinks is not relevant. It's what President Zelenskyy wants at the end of the day, with his government on behalf of the Ukrainian people as a democratic state. That's what we are trying to support here."
She similarly said the question of NATO membership for Ukraine is up to the military alliance to decide, and shouldn't be something that a peace agreement bars from happening.
In November, the U.S. proposed a deal widely seen as supporting Russia's objectives, which called on Ukraine to be barred from joining the military alliance.
"That's for NATO countries to decide. It's not a negotiated point as to a potential ceasefire," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2025.
— With files from The Associated Press
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