Zelenskyy Says "U.S. Sets June Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks"

Ukraine Accepts U.S. Proposal for "Miami Talks Next Week"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the 7th (local time) that the United States has proposed June this year as the deadline for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

According to AP and AFP, President Zelenskyy said in a media briefing that day, "The United States has proposed to both sides that the war be ended before the start of this summer, and it appears that it will put pressure on both sides according to this timetable."

Putin Vladimir, President of Russia, and Zelenskyy Volodymyr, President of Ukraine

President Zelenskyy said he believes the United States, which has midterm elections scheduled for November this year, presented this timetable for internal reasons. He said the United States proposed holding the first three-way talks on its soil next week and that they could take place in Miami, Florida, adding that Ukraine will participate. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated that there are no plans to hold the next three-way talks in the United States and that no such discussions have taken place.

The U.S.-Russia-Ukraine three-way talks for ending the war were held twice in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on January 23-24 and February 4-5, but there was little progress due to differences between Russia and Ukraine over ceding Ukrainian territory. Russia is demanding a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas region (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in eastern Ukraine), while Ukraine insists this is unacceptable.

President Zelenskyy said that, at Russia's suggestion, the United States and Russia are discussing a bilateral economic agreement worth 12 trillion dollars (about 17,600 quadrillion won) that would include deals capable of influencing Ukraine. He added that, through intelligence sources, he has confirmed a document known as the "Dmitriev package," which contains this proposed U.S.-Russia economic cooperation plan. The proposal is named after Kirill Dmitriev, the sovereign wealth fund chief and presidential envoy who is taking part in the peace negotiations as Russia's representative.

In this regard, President Zelenskyy said he does not know all the details of the bilateral discussions. Even so, he pointed out that "there are indications that parts of the agreement may include issues related to Ukraine's sovereignty or security." He then declared, "We make it clear that we will not support any agreement reached without Ukraine's participation."

Previously, President Trump had hinted at the possibility of easing sanctions and resuming economic cooperation in order to induce Russia to agree to end the war. However, President Zelenskyy maintains that sanctions on Russia should instead be strengthened in order to cut off war profits.