A tense new rift is opening between Kyiv and Washington as the U.S. quietly explores a controversial “Free Economic Zone” proposal for Donbas, a plan that Ukrainian officials fear could pressure them toward a de facto withdrawal. With Trump signaling a tougher, more transactional peace blueprint, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy now faces intense diplomatic headwinds. U.S. demands for concessions in eastern Ukraine have triggered alarm inside Kyiv, fueling debate over whether this marks the beginning of a Trump-led strategic pivot in the war. WATCH