US Proposes June Deadline for Ukraine-Russia Peace Settlement
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that the United States has established a new deadline of June for Ukraine and Russia to reach a peace agreement. He also revealed that both parties have been invited to participate in further negotiations scheduled for the following week.
“They will probably put pressure on Ukraine and Russia to end the war by the beginning of the summer. They say they want to get everything done by June,”Zelenskyy stated.
“They will do everything to end the war and they want a clear schedule of all events.”
He further explained that if the June deadline is not met, Washington is likely to increase pressure on both sides to finalize the peace process.
Background on US Involvement and Previous Deadlines
Prior to his presidency, Donald Trump promised to end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office. Subsequently, his special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, suggested that both Ukraine and Russia could reach an agreement. However, these efforts did not materialize into a peace deal.
In August of the previous year, President Trump set a deadline for peace negotiations, which also passed without resolution. By December, he indicated that a draft agreement to end the war was nearly
“95% done.”
Recent Peace Talks and Upcoming Negotiations
This week, two days of US-led peace talks were held in Abu Dhabi but failed to produce a breakthrough. Nonetheless, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, described the trilateral negotiations as
“genuinely constructive.”
Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that the Trump administration has proposed hosting the next round of trilateral talks in the United States, likely in Miami, within a week.
“We confirmed our participation,”he said.
Political Implications and Deadline Significance
The Ukrainian president suggested that the June deadline might be connected to President Trump’s campaign for the midterm elections.
“The [midterm] elections are definitely more important for them [the Americans]. Let’s not be naive.”
He emphasized the importance of setting a deadline if Russia is genuinely prepared to end the conflict.
“If the Russians are really ready to end the war, then it is really important to set a deadline.”
