Frank Rondel
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that the United States is aiming for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia by early summer, despite multiple rounds of negotiations failing to achieve a breakthrough on territorial disputes and security guarantees, reports customreceipt.com, via CNN.
“They say they want to get everything done by June,” Zelensky said in remarks published Saturday by the Presidency. “And they will do everything to end the war. They want a clear schedule of events. If the Russians are really ready to end the war, then it is really important to set a deadline.”
The Ukrainian leader added that Washington had proposed Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet in the United States, likely in Miami, within a week, and Kyiv has confirmed its participation. Zelensky emphasized that the current frontline should serve as the basis for any ceasefire.
“The American side says they can guarantee the monitoring,” he said, referring to trilateral talks held in Abu Dhabi this week. Zelensky also stressed that Ukraine will not accept any agreements concerning its territory made without its consent.
The statements coincided with another large-scale Russian assault on Ukraine’s power infrastructure overnight, targeting multiple regions with hundreds of drones and missiles. This follows a temporary lull in attacks, which was encouraged by the US. Zelensky noted that while Ukraine agreed to support the US President’s energy de-escalation initiative, Russia has yet to respond.
“The latest Russian strikes involved more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles of various types,” Zelensky said. “The main targets were the energy grid, generation facilities, and distribution substations. Energy facilities have suffered significant damage, affecting electricity supply across almost the entire country.”
Regions including Lviv, Rivne, Kyiv, and Kharkiv were among the hardest hit, with temperatures well below freezing. Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that Russia targeted high-voltage lines and two thermal power plants. Emergency blackouts have been implemented, while energy crews stand ready to restore supply as security conditions permit.
More than 600,000 subscribers in the Lviv region were without electricity on Saturday morning, according to Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv military administration. Ukrainian power provider DTEK said these attacks marked the tenth major strike on its thermal plants since October, with over 220 attacks on its facilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
The outages prompted reductions in nuclear power generation, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi urged restraint, highlighting that the deteriorating grid situation threatens nuclear safety.
“Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes,” Zelensky said. “Moscow must be deprived of the ability to use the cold as leverage against Ukraine. This requires missiles for Patriot, NASAMS, and other air defense systems. Every shipment helps us get through this winter.”
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