Joanna Kakissis

Earlier this week, Zelensky said he was open to withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the eastern region of Donbass, as long as Russia also pulled back its troops.

Ukraine controls about a quarter of this region.

The Trump administration is proposing turning this portion into a free economic zone.

Volodymyr Polovyi, a soldier whose unit is stationed in Donbass,

says Russia has been trying to occupy the region for more than a decade.

And during that time, he says, Russia signed peace and ceasefire agreements and did not respect them.

Public opinion polls show that Ukrainians strongly oppose giving up territory to Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he's exploring whether to hold a public referendum on the issue, though holding elections during wartime is against Ukraine's constitution.

The Trump administration is favoring Moscow in negotiations.

Lawmaker Ivana Klimpush-Tinsade says facing Russia without U.S.

support would be incredibly difficult.

But...

just to give in to the aggressor.

That is not something that we can agree upon after what we have gone through.

European leaders say they stand with Ukraine, but Europe's financial support to Ukraine has declined this year.

Joanna Kakissis, NPR News, Kyiv.

This probe is extensive.

It took 15 months, used about 1,000 iris of wiretaps.

There were seven alleged participants, including Timur Mindic.

He's a close business associate of Zelensky's.