Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a joint information convention with NATO Secretary Basic 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 achieve a deal to finish the almost 4‑12 months warfare, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy advised reporters, as Russian strikes on vitality infrastructure compelled nuclear energy crops to chop output on Saturday.
If the June deadline just isn’t met, the Trump administration will doubtless put stress on each side to fulfill it, he added.
“The People are proposing the events finish the warfare by the start of this summer season and can most likely put stress on the events exactly in line with this schedule,” Zelenskyy stated, talking to reporters on Friday. Zelenskyy’s feedback have been embargoed till Saturday morning.
“They usually say that they need to do every part by June. And they’re going to do every part to finish the warfare. They usually need a clear schedule of all occasions,” he stated.
He stated the U.S. proposed holding the following spherical of trilateral talks subsequent week of their nation for the primary time, doubtless 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 bundle” 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 submit on X. Targets included the vitality grid, era services 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 crops to cut back output. Eight services in eight areas got here below assault, it stated in a press release.
“Because of missile strikes on key high-voltage substations that ensured the output of nuclear energy items, all nuclear energy crops within the territories below management have been compelled to cut back their load,” the assertion stated.
It stated the ability deficit within the nation has elevated “considerably” because 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 should by no means settle for.
“Troublesome points remained troublesome. Ukraine as soon as once more confirmed its positions on the Donbas challenge. ‘We stand the place we stand’ is the fairest and most dependable mannequin for a ceasefire in the present day, in our opinion,” Zelenskyy stated. He reiterated that probably the most difficult subjects could 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 few U.S. proposal to show the Donbas area, coveted by Russia, right into a free financial zone as a compromise.
“I have no idea whether or not this may be applied, as a result of after we talked a few free financial zone, we had totally different views on it,” he stated.
He stated within the final spherical of talks the negotiators mentioned how a ceasefire could be technically monitored. He added that the U.S. has reaffirmed it could play a job in that course of.
Repeated Russian aerial assaults have in latest 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 urged by the U.S., it was violated after simply 4 days.
