Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a joint information convention with NATO Secretary Common Mark Rutte in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.
Sergei Grits/AP
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Sergei Grits/AP
KYIV, Ukraine — The U.S. has given Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to succeed in a deal to finish the almost 4‑12 months struggle, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy advised reporters, as Russian strikes on vitality infrastructure compelled nuclear energy vegetation to chop output on Saturday.
If the June deadline shouldn’t be met, the Trump administration will probably put stress on either side to satisfy it, he added.
“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,” Zelenskyy stated, chatting with reporters on Friday. Zelenskyy’s feedback had been embargoed till Saturday morning.
“And they say that they want to do everything by June. And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events,” he stated.
He stated the U.S. proposed holding the following spherical of trilateral talks subsequent week of their nation for the primary time, probably in Miami, Zelenskyy stated. “We confirmed our participation,” he added.
Zelenskyy stated Russia introduced the U.S. with a $12 trillion financial proposal — which he dubbed the “Dmitriev package” after Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Bilateral financial offers with the U.S. type a part of the broader negotiating course of.
Russian strikes on Ukrainian vitality infrastructure continued with over 400 drones and about 40 missiles launched in a single day Saturday, Zelenskyy stated in a put up on X. Targets included the vitality grid, technology amenities and distribution networks.
Ukrenergo, the state vitality transmission operator, stated the assault was the second mass strike on vitality infrastructure for the reason that begin of the 12 months, forcing nuclear energy vegetation to cut back output. Eight amenities in eight areas got here below assault, it stated in an announcement.
“As a result of missile strikes on key high-voltage substations that ensured the output of nuclear power units, all nuclear power plants in the territories under control were forced to reduce their load,” the assertion stated.
It stated the ability deficit within the nation has elevated “significantly” on account of the assaults forcing an extension of hourly energy outages in all areas of Ukraine.
The most recent deadline follows U.S.-brokered trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that produced no breakthrough because the combatants cling to mutually unique calls for. Russia is urgent Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas, the place combating stays intense — a situation Kyiv says it’ll by no means settle for.
“Difficult issues remained difficult. Ukraine once again confirmed its positions on the Donbas issue. ‘We stand where we stand’ is the fairest and most reliable model for a ceasefire today, in our opinion,” Zelenskyy stated. He reiterated that probably the most difficult subjects can be reserved for a trilateral assembly between leaders.
Zelenskyy stated no frequent floor was reached on managing the Russian‑held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and expressed skepticism a couple of U.S. proposal to show the Donbas area, coveted by Russia, right into a free financial zone as a compromise.
“I do not know whether this can be implemented, because when we talked about a free economic zone, we had different views on it,” he stated.
He stated within the final spherical of talks the negotiators mentioned how a ceasefire can be technically monitored. He added that the U.S. has reaffirmed it might play a job in that course of.
Repeated Russian aerial assaults have in current months centered on Ukraine’s energy grid, inflicting blackouts and disrupting the heating and water provide for households throughout a bitterly chilly winter, placing extra stress on Kyiv.
Zelenskyy stated the U.S. once more proposed a ceasefire banning strikes on vitality infrastructure. Ukraine is able to observe such a pause if Russia commits; however he added that when Moscow beforehand agreed to a one-week pause steered by the U.S., it was violated after simply 4 days.
