Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the United States has set a June deadline for a peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia. He told reporters that the Trump administration was pushing for an end to the war by the beginning of summer.
Zelenskyy confirmed that both sides have been invited to the next round of trilateral talks, likely to be held in Miami in a week's time. Ukraine has accepted the invitation, he said.
This is not the first deadline proposed by the US. Before taking office, Donald Trump promised to end the war in 24 hours. His special envoy later suggested a 100-day timeframe, and last August the president set a new deadline, which passed without agreement. In December, Trump claimed a draft deal was nearly 95% complete.
Two days of US-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi this week were described as 'genuinely constructive' by a senior Ukrainian official, but no breakthrough was achieved. Zelenskyy hinted that the June deadline could be linked to the US midterm elections, saying 'let's not be naive' about their importance to the Americans.
He added that if Russia is genuinely ready to end the war, setting a deadline is important.
