Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the United States has proposed a timeline to both Ukraine and Russia, hoping that the two sides can reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year-long war by June this year. He revealed that the U.S. government may exert pressure on both parties to ensure negotiations progress according to the set schedule.
Zelenskyy told reporters that the U.S. is advocating for “ending the war by early summer” and hopes to establish a clear negotiation and implementation timetable. He said the U.S. emphasized it would “make every effort to push the war to an end.”
According to Zelenskyy, the U.S. also proposed for the first time that the next round of tripartite talks be held on U.S. soil, with Miami as a possible location. Ukraine has confirmed its participation in these consultations. Currently, neither the U.S. nor Russia has made a public response to the plan.
Since Donald Trump resumed the U.S. presidency, he has consistently pushed for a swift end to the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Zelenskyy noted that domestic U.S. political factors, including the upcoming November midterm elections, may also affect the pace at which Washington advances the negotiations.
Core negotiation disputes remain: Donbas and nuclear plant issues stalemated
Although the latest U.S.-mediated tripartite talks in Abu Dhabi have concluded, no breakthrough was achieved. Zelenskyy admitted that multiple key issues remain deadlocked.
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Russia demands Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas region, a condition that Ukraine has firmly rejected. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s position on Donbas will not change and stated that the most realistic ceasefire model currently is “all sides maintaining existing control lines.”
Zelenskyy also revealed that Russia submitted to the U.S. an economic cooperation plan valued at approximately $12 trillion, referred to as the “Dmitriev Plan,” named after Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Bilateral economic cooperation topics have been incorporated into the overall negotiation framework.
Additionally, the parties have not reached consensus on the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which is under Russian control. Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about a U.S. proposal to make Donbas a free economic zone, noting clear differences in understanding among the parties regarding the concept.
He added that the negotiators have, for the first time, discussed the technical details of a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, and the U.S. has explicitly expressed willingness to participate. Zelenskyy also mentioned that a future tripartite summit at the leadership level is possible, but further preparation is needed.
Russian attacks on energy infrastructure continue; Ukraine’s power grid under pressure
While diplomatic negotiations continue, the battlefield situation is worsening. Zelenskyy said Russia launched large-scale overnight airstrikes over the weekend, using more than 400 drones and about 40 missiles, mainly targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian state grid operator Ukrenergo reported that this was the second large-scale attack on the energy system this year. The strikes affected critical facilities in eight regions, particularly high-voltage substations that support nuclear power output, forcing all controlled nuclear plants to reduce generation.
Ukraine stated that the attack significantly widened the nationwide power gap, forcing regions to extend rolling blackouts. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said substations, transmission lines, and multiple power plants were hit, and Ukraine has requested emergency electricity support from neighboring Poland.
The Dobrotvir plant in Lviv Oblast and the Burshtyn plant in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast were attacked, leaving thousands without power. Energy company DTEK reported that since October 2025, its plants have been hit ten times in large-scale attacks, with over 220 attacks since the outbreak of the full-scale war.
The attacks also caused casualties. Rivne Oblast reported at least one death, and several were injured in Zaporizhzhia. Some residents in the capital Kyiv again sought refuge in the metro. Citizen Oksana Kykhtenko told the media that the ongoing airstrikes left people facing power and heating outages amid freezing temperatures.
Ceasefire proposals repeatedly disrupted; both sides accuse each other of blocking peace
Zelenskyy said the U.S. again proposed a ceasefire banning attacks on energy facilities. Ukraine is willing to comply, provided Russia makes reciprocal commitments. He noted that Russia had previously agreed to a one-week ceasefire proposed by the U.S., but it was broken after just four days.
At the same time, Ukraine has carried out strikes on targets inside Russia. Reports indicate Ukrainian forces attacked a missile fuel plant in Tver Oblast and an oil storage facility in Saratov. Russia has not yet commented on these strikes.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of undermining the peace process, claiming that a recent shooting of a senior Russian general was intended to disrupt negotiations, though there is no clear evidence identifying the responsible party.