The United States has given Russia and Ukraine a deadline until June to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year-long war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as fresh Russian attacks hit Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Zelenskyy said the Trump administration wants the war to end by early summer and is working according to a fixed schedule. He added that Washington would likely put pressure on both sides if the deadline is not met.
“The Americans want everything done by June and they will do everything to end the war,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the US seeks a clear timeline for the peace process.
He said the United States has proposed holding the next round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the US next week, possibly in Miami. Ukraine has already confirmed its participation.
Zelenskyy also revealed that Russia presented the US with a massive economic proposal worth about $12 trillion, dubbed the “Dmitriev package,” named after Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Economic cooperation is part of the broader negotiations, he said.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continued large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy system. Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles overnight on Saturday, targeting power grids and energy facilities.
Ukraine’s state energy operator Ukrenergo said the strikes forced all nuclear power plants under government control to reduce output, leading to a significant power shortage. As a result, electricity outages have been extended across the country.
Recent US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi failed to produce a breakthrough, as both sides remain divided. Russia is demanding Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas region, a condition Kyiv has rejected outright.
Zelenskyy said no agreement was reached on the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and expressed doubt about a US proposal to turn parts of Donbas into a free economic zone.
He added that Ukraine is open to a US-backed ceasefire proposal banning strikes on energy infrastructure, but said Russia has previously violated similar agreements.
Russian attacks on power facilities have intensified in recent months, causing widespread blackouts and worsening living conditions during Ukraine’s harsh winter.