The United States is aiming to conclude the hot phase of the war in Ukraine by early summer 2026 and is pushing a clear timeline for the negotiation process. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this while speaking to the media, revealing details of recent consultations in Abu Dhabi and plans for the coming week.
According to the head of state, Washington has proposed that the parties reach final agreements before June. The American side is promoting a so-called "Sequence Plan" — a phased schedule of decisions that involves signing key agreements and security guarantees within roughly the same timeframe.
"The Americans say they want everything done by June and will do everything to end the war," Zelensky emphasized.
Within a week, negotiation teams from Ukraine and Russia could meet directly on US soil for the first time — likely in Miami. Kyiv has already agreed to the meeting, while Moscow has taken a pause to coordinate its position with the Kremlin.
The line of contact remains a key stumbling block. Russia continues to demand the full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk region. Ukraine, in turn, insists on freezing the actual front line as the only realistic model for a ceasefire.
"Russia wants us out of the Donetsk region, but we said the most reliable position is 'we stand where we stand.' The American side is proposing what they see as a compromise option," the President explained.
It was also revealed that there is an attempt to revive the "energy truce." The US proposed that both sides stop striking energy facilities during the negotiations. Ukraine confirmed its readiness for such de-escalation on a reciprocal basis ("we won't strike if they don't strike us"), but the Russians have not yet responded.
A significant shift is the US agreement to participate directly in monitoring a future ceasefire. Military representatives from the parties already discussed the technical details of this process at a meeting in the UAE on February 4-5.
The President noted a change in the tone of Russian negotiators — they have moved away from propaganda clichés and "historical almanacs" towards specifics. However, Kyiv has no trust in their words.
"There are changes in their rhetoric. But trust in them is zero. I think they have about the same feelings toward us because they hate Ukraine, and that's it," Zelensky concluded.
The most difficult issues on which the delegations cannot agree (specifically the status of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and a free economic zone in the Donbas) could be referred to a trilateral meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, the US, and Russia, provided the groundwork is laid. At the same time, Zelensky warned against backroom deals between Washington and Moscow, pointing to the existence of the so-called "$12 trillion Dmitriev package," which may contain conditions unacceptable to Ukraine.
