WASHINGTON, Feb 7 – Ukraine’s president has said the United States is pushing both Kyiv and Moscow toward a tight timeline to end the war, warning that Washington expects concrete progress by June as fighting continues and Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine’s energy system.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that U.S. officials have outlined a plan aimed at securing an agreement before the start of summer, nearly four years after Russia launched its full scale invasion. According to Zelenskyy, Washington has made clear that if this target is missed, pressure on both sides will increase in an effort to force movement toward a settlement.
Speaking on Friday, in comments released to the public on Saturday, Zelenskyy said U.S. officials want a clear schedule for negotiations and outcomes. He described the American approach as structured and time bound, emphasizing that the U.S. administration believes momentum must be maintained to prevent the conflict from dragging on indefinitely.
Energy attacks and diplomacy collide
Zelenskyy said U.S. representatives are proposing that Ukraine and Russia conclude the core elements of an agreement by early summer. If talks stall, he suggested Washington could escalate diplomatic pressure, including through economic or political leverage. His remarks underline growing concern in Kyiv that the war risks becoming a frozen conflict if deadlines are not enforced.
The Ukrainian leader also revealed that the U.S. has suggested hosting the next round of trilateral talks on American soil, which would mark the first time negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. take place in the United States. According to Zelenskyy, the meeting could happen as early as next week, with Miami cited as a likely location. Ukraine has already confirmed its participation, he said.
These diplomatic developments come against the backdrop of continued Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy said that overnight attacks involved more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, targeting power generation facilities, transmission systems, and distribution networks. He shared these details in a public statement, noting that the scale of the assault has placed additional strain on the country’s already fragile power system.
Ukraine’s state energy transmission operator Ukrenergo reported that the strikes marked the second major attack on energy infrastructure this year. In a statement, the company said eight facilities across eight regions were hit, forcing nuclear power plants in government controlled areas to reduce output. According to Ukrenergo, missile strikes damaged key high voltage substations essential for transmitting electricity from nuclear units.
As a result, the national power deficit has grown significantly, prompting authorities to extend rolling blackouts across all regions of Ukraine. Energy officials warned that the situation could worsen if attacks continue at the current pace, particularly as repair crews struggle to restore damaged facilities under constant threat of renewed strikes.
Zelenskyy said the renewed focus on energy targets highlights the urgency of discussing a ceasefire that would protect critical infrastructure. He noted that the U.S. has once again proposed a pause on strikes against energy facilities. Ukraine, he said, is prepared to adhere to such an arrangement if Russia does the same. However, he pointed to a previous U.S. backed proposal for a one week pause that collapsed after four days, alleging Russian violations.
Beyond battlefield developments, Zelenskyy disclosed that Russia has presented the U.S. with a massive economic proposal valued at around $12 trillion. He referred to it as the “Dmitriev package,” naming Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. According to Zelenskyy, the proposal centers on bilateral economic cooperation between Russia and the U.S. and is being discussed as part of the broader negotiating framework.
He suggested that Moscow is attempting to link economic incentives with political concessions, though he offered few details about the contents of the proposal. Russian officials have not publicly elaborated on the plan, but analysts say such offers are likely aimed at reshaping Western engagement with Russia amid ongoing sanctions.
The June timeline follows recent U.S. brokered talks held in Abu Dhabi, which failed to produce a breakthrough. According to Zelenskyy, the discussions stalled because Ukraine and Russia remain locked into positions that are fundamentally incompatible. Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas region, where fighting remains intense, a condition Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine reaffirmed its stance during the talks, insisting that its current territorial position is the only viable basis for a ceasefire. He described this approach as realistic and stable under current conditions. The most sensitive issues, he added, are expected to be addressed only at a high level meeting between national leaders, rather than by negotiators.
No agreement was reached on the future management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which remains under Russian control. Zelenskyy also expressed doubt about a U.S. suggestion to turn parts of the Donbas into a free economic zone as a compromise solution. He said discussions revealed sharply different interpretations of what such an arrangement would entail, raising questions about its feasibility.
During the latest round of talks, negotiators focused in part on how a potential ceasefire would be monitored and enforced. Zelenskyy said the U.S. reaffirmed its willingness to take part in overseeing compliance, though specifics were not finalized. Monitoring mechanisms remain a key sticking point, given past accusations of violations by both sides.
In recent months, Russian air campaigns have increasingly targeted Ukraine’s power grid, causing widespread blackouts and disrupting heating and water supplies during winter. Ukrainian officials say these attacks are designed to wear down civilian morale and strain the country’s economy as the war drags on.