US pushing for Ukraine–Russia war to end by June — Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the United States wants Russia and Ukraine to end the war by June, as Washington intensifies efforts to broker a settlement to the nearly four-year conflict.

According to Zelensky, the administration of US President Donald Trump has been urging both Moscow and Kyiv to reach an agreement and recently mediated talks in Abu Dhabi. However, negotiations have stalled over key issues, particularly territorial control.

Russia, which currently occupies about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory, is demanding full control of the eastern Donetsk region as part of any deal. Ukraine has rejected the demand, insisting it will not accept an agreement that fails to prevent future Russian aggression.

Zelensky disclosed that the United States has, for the first time, proposed direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams on US soil, possibly in Miami, within the next week.

“They say they want to do everything by June,” he told reporters in comments released early Saturday.

The Ukrainian leader again voiced concern that Kyiv is being pressured to make greater concessions than Moscow. He warned that Ukraine would not accept any arrangement negotiated without its full participation, particularly on matters affecting its sovereignty.

Zelensky also said there was no shared position on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian occupation since 2022, describing it as another major obstacle to reaching an agreement.