Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that the United States has set a firm June deadline for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. He said Washington plans to increase pressure if no deal is reached by then. The war is now in its fourth year.
Zelenskyy also confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks will take place in the United States for the first time. The negotiations will be held in Miami. Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. are all expected to participate.
Ukraine-Russia peace talks deadline
The new deadline comes after the last round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi ended without progress. Core disagreements remain unresolved. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas region. Kyiv has firmly rejected that demand.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s position has not changed. He described the current front lines as the most realistic basis for a ceasefire. He said Ukraine will not accept territorial concessions under pressure.
The U.S. has also floated the idea of turning Donbas into a free economic zone. Zelenskyy said Ukraine does not support that proposal. He said the parties hold very different views on the issue.
U.S. Russia economic proposal concerns
Zelenskyy raised serious concerns about a large economic proposal presented by Moscow to Washington. The package is valued at an estimated $12 trillion. It reportedly includes plans to gradually lift sanctions and launch long-term development projects involving Russia and Ukraine.
He said Ukraine is not fully aware of what is being discussed. He added that intelligence reports suggest some of the proposals could affect Ukraine’s security or sovereignty.
Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine will not accept any agreements made about its future without its direct involvement. He said bilateral U.S.-Russia deals are a major concern for Kyiv.
War escalation and ceasefire stance
The diplomatic push comes as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Overnight strikes involved more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles. Energy facilities were heavily targeted.
Ukraine’s state energy operator said this was the second major attack on power infrastructure this year. Power plants have been forced to reduce output. Outages have increased during extreme winter conditions.
Despite the attacks, Ukraine has said it is willing to observe a ceasefire if Russia commits and does not violate it again. Zelenskyy said Ukraine remains open to peace but not under artificial timelines. He added that he believes U.S. negotiating pressure is influenced by upcoming American midterm elections.