Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has disclosed that the United States is seeking to bring an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia by June and has proposed hosting direct negotiations between the two sides as early as next week.
Speaking to reporters in remarks released early Saturday, Zelensky said Washington had, for the first time, suggested that Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet on US soil, possibly in Miami.
“The United States has proposed that the negotiating teams of Ukraine and Russia meet in America in about a week,” he said, adding that US officials were keen to conclude the process by June.
President Donald Trump’s administration has intensified efforts to broker a ceasefire in the nearly four-year conflict, recently facilitating talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi. However, progress has stalled over disputes surrounding territorial control.
Russia currently occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine and is demanding full control of the eastern Donetsk region as part of any settlement. Ukraine has rejected such terms, insisting it will not agree to a deal that leaves the country vulnerable to future aggression.
Zelensky reiterated his concern that Kyiv is being asked to make greater concessions than Moscow, warning against any agreements reached without Ukraine’s direct involvement.
“I will not accept decisions about Ukraine made without Ukraine,” he said, stressing that matters of sovereignty cannot be negotiated behind Kyiv’s back.
He also revealed that both sides remain divided over the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian occupation since 2022, noting that there is still no shared position on control of the facility.
The Ukrainian leader’s comments underscore the ongoing challenges facing diplomatic efforts, despite renewed US pressure to secure a resolution to Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.
