Kyiv: The United States has given Ukraine and Russia until June to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year-long war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, even as fresh Russian attacks on energy infrastructure forced Ukraine’s nuclear power plants to scale down operations.
Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy said Washington is pushing for a clear and time-bound roadmap to end the conflict by early summer. He warned that if no agreement is reached by then, the US administration is likely to exert pressure on both sides to comply with the proposed timeline.
“The Americans want to complete everything by June. They are insisting on a clear schedule of events and intend to use all available leverage to end the war,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine has agreed to participate in the next round of US-brokered trilateral talks, expected to be held in Miami next week.
He also revealed that Russia has submitted a massive economic proposal worth an estimated USD 12 trillion to the United States as part of the negotiations. Zelenskyy referred to the offer as the “Dmitriev package,” named after Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, and said economic cooperation with the US is being discussed alongside security and political issues.
Meanwhile, Russia intensified its aerial campaign against Ukraine’s energy sector, launching more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles overnight. According to Ukraine’s state energy operator Ukrenergo, eight key energy facilities across eight regions were hit in what it described as the second major assault on energy infrastructure this year.
The strikes damaged high-voltage substations linked to nuclear power output, forcing all operational nuclear plants in government-controlled areas to reduce electricity generation. Ukrenergo said the resulting power deficit has grown significantly, leading to longer and more frequent power cuts nationwide.
The June deadline follows recent trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that failed to produce a breakthrough, largely due to deep disagreements over territorial issues. Russia continues to demand Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Donbas region, a condition Kyiv has firmly rejected.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has reiterated its position on Donbas and remains sceptical about proposals such as turning the region into a free economic zone. He also confirmed that no agreement has been reached on the future management of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The Ukrainian president added that the latest discussions focused on mechanisms to monitor any potential ceasefire. The US has once again proposed a halt on attacks targeting energy infrastructure, a move Ukraine is willing to support if Russia commits to it. However, Zelenskyy noted that a previous US-backed pause collapsed within days due to alleged Russian violations.
In recent months, repeated strikes on Ukraine’s power grid have caused widespread blackouts and disrupted heating and water supplies, compounding humanitarian and economic pressures as the war drags on.
