Zelenskyy reveals US deadline for end of Russia-Ukraine war
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Donald Trump has given Ukraine and Russia until the end of June to agree a peace deal after proposing to hold another round of talks next week.
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According to the Ukrainian leader, the US is putting pressure on both sides to meet and find an agreement to end the war which has been raging on for nearly four years.
Fresh talks are set to take place in Miami next week, which Kyiv has agreed to.
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Speaking to reporters on Friday, Zelenskyy said: "The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule."
He added: "They say that they want to do everything by June. They will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events."
The latest deadline follows US-led talks in Abu Dhabi ended without progress, as both sides stick to irreconcilable positions. Moscow is demanding that Ukraine pull back from the Donbas, where clashes continue, a requirement Kyiv insists it will not agree to.
The renewed hope for a peace deal comes amid Russia's overnight strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities, involving more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles and targeting areas mostly in the west of the country, however, Kyiv and Kharkiv were also hit.
The main targets were "the energy grid, generation facilities and distribution substations," according to Zelenskyy.
Talking about Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media: "Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes.
"It is crucial that everyone who supports the trilateral negotiations respond to this. Moscow must be deprived of the ability to use the cold as leverage against Ukraine."
Meanwhile, Donald Trump told journalists on Friday that "very good talks" have been taking place, adding that "something could be happening"
The US President's comments on Air Force one follow a report from Reuters which claimed that the US is aiming for Russia and Ukraine to agree on a deal by next month.
Sources told the outlet that any deal would be put to a referendum by Ukrainian voters.