KYIV: The United States wants Ukraine and Russia to end their war by June, and has offered to host talks between the two sides next week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has been pressing Moscow and Kyiv to end the nearly four-year conflict, recently mediating talks between the two sides in Abu Dhabi, but has so far failed to broker a compromise on the thorny issue of territory.
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Russia, which occupies around 20 percent of Ukraine, is pushing for full control of its neighbour’s eastern Donetsk region as part of a deal.
But Ukraine says it will not sign an agreement that fails to deter Russia from invading again.
“The United States has proposed for the first time that the two negotiating teams — Ukraine and Russia — meet in the United States, probably in Miami, in a week’s time,” Zelensky told reporters in comments made public early Saturday.
“They say that they want to do everything by June,” he added.
Zelensky has repeatedly expressed frustration that his country is being asked to make disproportionate compromises compared to Russia.
In his remarks published Saturday, the Ukrainian leader said he would not tolerate Washington and Moscow making deals behind Kyiv’s back, especially if they related to Ukrainian sovereignty.
The two sides have also failed to reach “common understanding” on the issue of control over Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Moscow since 2022, Zelensky said.
