The United States wants the Russia-Ukraine conflict resolved by the summer before focusing on domestic issues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
His comments come after the second round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi earlier this week.
Like the first round in January, the negotiations were held behind closed doors, with no details shared by either side, except for Russia and the US, which called the talks “productive” and “constructive.” The latest negotiations have resulted in an exchange of 314 prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Zelensky said Washington is ready to push both sides to speed up the settlement process.
"The Americans are proposing that the parties end the war by early this summer and are likely to pressure them to stick to this deadline," he claimed.
Zelensky suggested that Washington's desire to speed up the resolution process stems from "domestic issues" that are becoming "more urgent for it," apparently referring to the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. The U.S. side has offered to organize a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian sides in Miami, he said, adding that this could happen within a week.
