Ukraine and Russia Given June Deadline to End Ongoing Conflict

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that the US has proposed new trilateral talks in Miami, which Ukraine will attend. The United States has set a June deadline for Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year war.

According to Zelenskyy, the Americans are proposing that the parties agree on a timeline to bring an end to the conflict by the beginning of summer. He stated that the US administration is seeking a clear schedule for all events and has proposed holding the next round of trilateral talks in Miami, likely next week.

Ukraine has accepted the invitation to attend the talks. The previous deadline was set after US-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between Russia and Ukraine, which resulted in little progress. Both sides have maintained their opposing demands, with Russia demanding that Ukraine withdraw from the eastern Donbas region and Kyiv firmly rejecting this condition due to its prohibition by the Ukrainian constitution.

The two sides did agree on a prisoner-of-war swap, which took place on February 5, according to officials from Ukraine, the US, and Russia’s Ministry of Defence. US special envoy Steve Witkoff stated that while significant work remains in peace talks, the prisoner swap showed that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results.

However, Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched over 400 drones and around 40 missiles overnight, targeting Ukraine’s energy sector. He emphasized the need for Russia to engage in real diplomacy rather than continuing with strikes.

Source: Al Jazeera