Zelenskyy: US is pressing Moscow and Kyiv to wrap up war talks before summer

• Washington wants Ukraine and Russia to reach a deal before summer, Zelenskyy says.
• US proposed fresh talks in Miami and an energy ceasefire, with Kyiv agreeing.
• Territorial disagreements remain wide despite prisoner exchange progress.

The United States is pushing Russia and Ukraine to find a path toward ending the war before summer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said, as Washington intensifies diplomatic efforts to force momentum in talks that have so far produced limited breakthroughs.

Speaking after two days of US-brokered negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Abu Dhabi, Zelenskiy said American officials had proposed another round of talks in Miami within a week, an idea Kyiv has already accepted. He suggested Washington was keen to move fast, driven partly by domestic political timelines, and was urging both sides to work toward concrete outcomes by June.

The talks in Abu Dhabi ended without a major agreement, but both sides committed to exchanging 157 prisoners of war each, restarting swaps after a five-month pause. Zelenskyy said that the process would continue and described it as one of the few areas where tangible progress was being made.

He also accused Russia of continuing to use attacks on energy infrastructure as a pressure tactic, pointing to overnight strikes that left parts of Ukraine without power or heating in sub-zero temperatures. Zelenskyy said Moscow must be deprived of the ability to weaponise winter conditions against civilians.

Energy ceasefire on the table

Zelenskyy said Washington had asked both sides to agree to a ceasefire covering strikes on energy facilities as an initial de-escalation step. Ukraine, he said, was ready to halt attacks on Russian oil depots and other infrastructure, but Moscow had yet to commit.

Russia briefly paused attacks on Ukraine’s power sector earlier this month following discussions involving the US, but that lull ended with a renewed barrage of drones and missiles that targeted generation facilities and substations across the country.

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Zelenskyy said more than 1,000 apartment buildings in Kyiv alone were left without heating as residents sought shelter in subway stations and underground spaces.

Despite the pressure, Ukrainian military and security officials said Kyiv has continued to strike strategic targets inside Russia, including an oil depot in the Saratov region and a facility in Tver that produces missile fuel components.

Zelenskyy says Security guarantees and territory remain sticking points

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s negotiating team was focused on securing firm security guarantees as the foundation for any lasting peace, alongside discussions on economic cooperation tied to post-war recovery. He described military-level talks on how to monitor a potential ceasefire as detailed but preliminary.

Territory remains the most divisive issue. Zelenskyy said Ukraine and Russia were still far apart, and while the US had floated the idea of a free economic zone in parts of Donetsk, neither side was enthusiastic. Kyiv, he reiterated, would not withdraw from territory it still controls in the region.

He also disclosed intelligence reports suggesting Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev had discussed potential US-Russia cooperation deals worth up to $12 trillion, adding that any such arrangements must not violate Ukraine’s constitution.

For now, Washington’s strategy appears focused on tightening timelines, narrowing negotiation tracks, and extracting limited confidence-building measures, even as the broader political settlement remains elusive.