Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States has given Ukraine and Russia until June to reach a deal to end the nearly four-year war, warning that Washington is likely to increase pressure on both sides if the deadline is missed.
“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer,” Zelensky told reporters Friday. “They want a clear schedule of all events.”
Zelensky said the U.S. has proposed holding the next round of trilateral talks with Russia next week in the United States — likely in Miami — marking the first time negotiations would be held on U.S. soil. Ukraine has confirmed its participation.
He also revealed that Russia submitted a $12-trillion economic proposal to the U.S., dubbed the “Dmitriev package” after Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, as part of broader negotiations that include potential bilateral economic agreements.
The comments came as Russia launched a major overnight assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, firing more than 400 drones and about 40 missiles, according to Zelensky. Ukraine’s state energy operator, Ukrenergo, said the strikes forced all nuclear power plants in government-controlled territory to reduce output after key high-voltage substations were hit.
The attacks significantly worsened Ukraine’s power deficit, prompting extended hourly blackouts nationwide.
The June deadline follows U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi that failed to produce a breakthrough. Russia continues to demand Ukraine withdraw from the eastern Donbas region — a condition Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
“We stand where we stand,” Zelensky said, adding that the most difficult issues should be addressed in a leaders-level trilateral
Zelensky said negotiations also stalled over the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and expressed skepticism about a U.S. proposal to turn Donbas into a free economic zone.
The U.S. has again proposed a ceasefire banning strikes on energy infrastructure. Zelensky said Ukraine is willing to comply if Russia does the same, but noted Moscow previously violated a similar one-week pause after just four days.
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