New Delhi: The United States has given Ukraine and Russia a clear window to move towards a peace agreement with June set as the target month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said Washington wants tangible progress before the start of summer and is prepared to push both sides if the timeline is missed.
According to Zelensky, the message from the US was direct. If Kyiv and Moscow fail to reach an understanding by this summer, then pressure from Washington is likely to follow. He said the US administration wants the war brought to an end under a fixed schedule with defined steps and deadlines rather than open-ended discussions.
Zelensky’s comments were made on Friday but released publicly on Saturday due to an embargo, underlining growing impatience in Washington as the conflict drags on. The war is now nearing its fourth year and remains the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II with no clear political solution in sight.
Fresh push for talks in Miami
As part of the renewed effort, the US has proposed hosting the next round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States. Zelensky said the meeting is expected to take place next week and for the first time on American soil. Miami is being considered as the likely venue.
Ukraine has already agreed to attend the talks, as confirmed by Zelensky. He said the US wants all sides aligned to a clear timetable and hopes a change in location could help inject momentum into stalled negotiations.
Abu Dhabi talks fail to deliver breakthrough
The new deadline follows recent US-brokered discussions in Abu Dhabi where delegations from Ukraine and Russia held two days of talks. Those meetings ended without any significant progress as both sides stuck to positions that remain far apart.
Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas region, where fighting remains intense. Kyiv has repeatedly said such a condition is unacceptable and non-negotiable.
Despite the lack of movement so far, Zelensky said the United States remains focused on finding a way to end the war before summer. Whether the June timeline leads to real progress now depends on whether both sides are willing to shift ground they have so far refused to give up.