Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said yesterday the US needed to put more pressure on Russia if it wanted the war to end by summer, adding it was unclear whether Moscow would attend US-brokered peace talks next week.
The Ukrainian leader, who has said previously that Washington wants to end the four-year-old war by June, said Russia was still deliberating over whether to participate in the proposed next round of trilateral peace talks in Miami.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine was ready to attend the meeting, which follows two rounds of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi over the past month that have failed to produce a breakthrough.
“It depends not only on Ukraine, but also on America, which must exert pressure – excuse me for saying so, but there is no other way – it must exert pressure on Russia,” he said of a possible peace deal by summer.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday there was no date set yet for the next round of peace talks, but said that negotiations were likely to happen soon.
Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that US officials had proposed a trilateral meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Miami.
Zelenskiy denied a report by the Financial Times, which said he intended to announce plans on February 24 for a presidential election and a referendum on a peace deal.
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