Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky chairs a meeting with journalists at his office in Kiev on February 6, 2026. Photo: VCG

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US is proposing the war be brought to an end before the start of this summer and is likely to apply pressure on the parties in line with that timeline, and suggested the push is linked to US domestic political dynamics, likely referring to the midterm elections scheduled for November 2026, The Kyiv Independent reported Saturday. 

"They say they want to get everything done by June…And they will do everything to end the war. They want a clear schedule of events," Zelensky said in remarks published Saturday by the Presidency, per CNN report. 

Zelensky's remarks came amid intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. The second round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US in Abu Dhabi was held on February 4-5. 

Zelensky said that Washington had proposed that Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet in the US, probably in Miami, in a week's time, per CNN. "We have confirmed our participation."

Ukraine is currently in a challenging position. As it grapples with the dilemma between territorial concessions and national survival, the Trump administration is expected to maintain maximum pressure on the country - in pursuit of a hasty deal that could provide a major political boost for the midterm elections, Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

RT reported that, similar to the first round of talks in January, the recent negotiations in Abu Dhabi were held behind closed doors, with no details shared by either side, other than Russia and the US calling the talks "productive" and "constructive." 

The latest round of negotiations resulted in an exchange of 314 prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine, RT reported. 

"The work continued for two days. It was constructive and at the same time very difficult. It will continue," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by TASS, commenting on the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.

Following the negotiations in Abu Dhabi, Ukraine's position regarding withdrawal from Donbas remains unchanged. Ukraine refuses and intends to "stand its ground," TASS said. "Russia wants our withdrawal from Donbas, while we have said that the most reliable position is to 'stand our ground,'" Zelensky stated, according to TASS. 

Zelensky also said the US side raised the idea of establishing a free economic zone in in parts of the Donbas. Zelensky said neither Ukraine nor Russia has ever been enthusiastic about the proposal, The Kyiv Independent reported. 

In the meantime, Zelensky added that Kiev has also seen indications that potential US-Russia bilateral documents could include provisions related to Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent said. 

Neither the US nor Russia has provided further details regarding the Abu Dhabi negotiations. Zhang observed that, based on their brief statements about the talks, Russia's patience appears to be waning, while the US is acting urgently to expedite an end to the conflict. "If territorial issues cannot be discussed and addressed, then all problems will be impossible to resolve," he noted.

He added, "There are expected to be rounds of communication and negotiations from all sides before summer to drive changes in the situation, but a fundamental breakthrough remains unlikely for now."