- he cautioned that such a summit would require extensive groundwork before it could happen
- Zelensky said the latest overnight assault involved more than 400 drones and over 40 missiles
- Zelensky stated earlier this week that about 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began in February 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has disclosed that the United States is pushing for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia by June, revealing that both countries have been invited to participate in fresh peace talks scheduled to be held in the US next week.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Zelensky said Washington proposed, for the first time, a direct meeting between Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams on American soil, with Miami mentioned as a possible venue. According to him, Ukraine has already confirmed its readiness to attend.
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“There is a proposal from the United States for Ukraine and Russia to hold talks in America within a week. We have agreed to take part,” Zelensky said.
Neither the US nor Russia has officially commented on the proposed meeting. However, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to bring the conflict to an end since returning to office over a year ago.
Zelensky made the remarks while briefing journalists on the outcome of the second round of US-mediated peace discussions held in Abu Dhabi, which concluded on Friday without any major breakthrough. He admitted that several contentious matters remain unresolved, particularly demands for territorial concessions that Ukraine continues to resist.
He also revealed that the talks touched on the possibility of a high-level meeting involving the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, rather than just negotiators. However, he cautioned that such a summit would require extensive groundwork before it could happen.
When asked about a possible deadline for a peace agreement, Zelensky said US officials indicated they were aiming for progress by June, noting that domestic political considerations in the United States, including upcoming elections, could influence the timeline.
While diplomatic efforts continue, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, worsening electricity shortages during freezing winter conditions. Ukraine’s Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal, said substations, power plants and major transmission lines were targeted in what he described as another large-scale assault on the country’s power grid.
Ukraine’s national grid operator, Ukrenergo, reported a sharp increase in the power deficit following the strikes, prompting Kyiv to request emergency electricity supplies from neighbouring Poland.
Zelensky said the latest overnight assault involved more than 400 drones and over 40 missiles. Although air-defence systems intercepted many of them, damage was recorded in at least four regions.
In western Ukraine, the Dobrotvir power plant in Lviv region was hit, leaving thousands of residents without electricity. A similar strike affected the Burshtyn power plant in neighbouring Ivano-Frankivsk. Energy company DTEK said this marked the tenth major attack on its facilities since October 2025 and noted that its thermal plants have been targeted more than 220 times since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Authorities reported one fatality in the Rivne region and several injuries in Zaporizhzhia, alongside damage to homes and critical infrastructure. In Kyiv, residents once again sought shelter in metro stations to escape air strikes, with many describing life without stable power or heating as unbearable.
Ukraine has also carried out retaliatory strikes, reportedly hitting a missile fuel component factory in Russia’s Tver region and an oil depot in the Saratov region. Moscow has not confirmed or denied these claims.
Russia recently resumed attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities after a brief pause that Trump said he had requested due to extreme cold. Kyiv, however, disputed the duration of the pause.
Reacting to the renewed bombardment, Zelensky said Russia must not be allowed to use winter conditions as a weapon, stressing that sustained attacks on civilian infrastructure undermine peace efforts.
Meanwhile, Moscow has accused Ukraine of acting in bad faith, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov alleging that Kyiv was behind the killing of a senior Russian military officer, claiming it was intended to derail negotiations. Responsibility for the shooting has not been established.
Zelensky stated earlier this week that about 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began in February 2022. Independent reports indicate that nearly 160,000 Russian fighters have also died in the conflict.
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