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In a bid to end the longstanding conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the United States has extended an invitation to both nations for peace talks, with the aim of reaching a resolution by June. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that these discussions could unfold in Florida next week.
The US has intensified its diplomatic efforts to halt the bloodshed in what is Europe’s most lethal conflict since the Second World War. However, the primary hurdle remains the territorial disputes between Moscow and Kyiv.
Currently, Russia controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory and is insisting on dominion over the eastern Donetsk region as a condition for any peace agreement. Russian authorities have even issued threats to seize the area by force if negotiations do not succeed.
Meanwhile, Ukraine remains steadfast in its stance that conceding territory would only embolden Russian aggression, making it clear that it will not endorse any deal that fails to prevent future invasions.
“For the first time, the United States has suggested hosting negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, likely in Miami, within the next week,” Zelenskyy announced to the press.
“They say that they want to do everything by June,” he added.
The US has mediated two rounds of negotiation between the two sides in Abu Dhabi since January, brokering a major prisoner exchange but failing to reach a breakthrough on territory.
Both Moscow and Kyiv say talks have been difficult.
‘Free economic zone’
Zelenskyy has repeatedly expressed frustration that his country is being asked to make disproportionate compromises compared to Russia.
Ukraine has proposed freezing the conflict along the current front lines.
But Russia has rejected this, and Washington has pushed for Kyiv to convert the land it currently controls in the Donetsk region into a “free economic zone” where neither side has military control.
“Even if we come to the creation of a free economic zone, we will need fair and reliable rules,” Zelenskyy said.
The two sides have also failed to reach a “common understanding” on the issue of control over the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Zelenskyy said.
Russian forces seized the plant, the largest in Europe, at the start of the conflict and have held onto it since.
Ukraine will not tolerate Russia and the United States making deals about Ukraine behind its back, Zelenskyy added.
Russia hits Ukraine’s grid
Throughout the negotiating progress Russia has launched waves of deadly strikes on Ukraine that have cut heating and power to millions during freezing temperatures.
Russian attacks earlier Saturday forced Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants to throttle their generation capacity, “creating a direct risk of a nuclear incident”, foreign minister Andriy Sybiga said.
The UN’s atomic energy watchdog issued a statement calling for “restraint”.
Russia, which denies targeting civilians, accused Ukraine on Friday of orchestrating the shooting of a top military intelligence general in Moscow, leaving him wounded. Kyiv has yet to comment.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, describing it as a “special military operation” to prevent the expansion of NATO, a war aim that Kyiv has called a pretext for an illegal land grab.
The conflict has resulted in a massive wave of destruction that has left entire cities in ruins and killed tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, while forcing millions to flee their homes.
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