As Ukraine gears up for fresh peace talks next week, the Donald Trump administration is pressing Kyiv to make concessions to Russia in a bid to end the war by early summer, according to a New York Times report, citing Ukrainian officials
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced frustration that Washington is pushing Kyiv harder than Moscow, but stressed the need to keep the US engaged.
Zelensky said last week that the US desire to halt the war by June was dictated by the American political calendar.
As the midterm elections approach, he said, the Trump administration’s focus is likely to move away from Ukraine.
“Of course, it is desirable for us that the Americans do not leave,” NYT quoted Zelenskyy as saying, adding the US was “likely to put pressure on the parties according to that timeline.”
According to the report, citing Ukrainian officials, Russia has shown no sign of stopping while it retains resources and battlefield momentum.
Kyiv plans to send a delegation to talks in Florida next week, though it is unclear if Moscow will attend. Earlier negotiations in the UAE yielded little progress.
It remains unclear how far the United States is willing to go if Ukraine resists on key issues like territory and elections.
Trump has emphasised his desire to claim credit for ending the war, while previous deadlines set by his administration have passed with little apparent consequence. US officials continue to engage in talks even as Ukraine pushes back against Russia-friendly proposals initially suggested by Washington.
Zelenskyy said he has received no signals that the US plans to withdraw.
US, Russia push Ukraine on elections
But Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, a member of Ukraine’s Parliament, said that the Trump administration had threatened to pull out of the negotiating process if Ukraine was not prepared to compromise, including by holding elections, reported NYT.
According to Yurchyshyn, during the recent peace talks in the UAE, the US urged Ukraine to hold elections by May 15 — a timeline seen as highly unrealistic given the ongoing war.
US pressure for elections mirrors Russia’s demands. Vladimir Putin has claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky has lost legitimacy because he is “afraid to run in a presidential election,” calling any deal with him “pointless.”
Elections in Ukraine have been suspended under martial law since the war began in February 2022, and polls indicate little public support for resuming them until it is safe to vote.
Some opposition figures suggest Zelenskyy might consider early elections, potentially giving him an edge over less-prepared rivals. He has requested Parliament draft legislation for wartime elections, with a working group expected to develop a plan in the coming weeks, NYT quoted a senior Ukrainian lawmaker as saying on Thursday.
Kyiv insists no deal can be struck without firm Western security guarantees to prevent another invasion.
“We want the war to end in a way that satisfies the US and the Ukrainian people,” Zelensky was quoted as saying. “Even compromises must be fair,” he said, adding, “I would very much like us to sign security guarantees first and then sign other documents.”
Territory remains the thorniest issue. Zelenskyy said Putin had effectively sought full control of the Donbas.
“Likely something like: Give me all of Donbas, and I’ll end the war. That’s the short version,” he said,
Despite diplomacy, Kyiv believes Russia is preparing a renewed spring offensive while ramping up weapons production.
Throughout the war, Russia has mounted major offensives in the spring. It is expected to do so again this year to try to take more territory and increase pressure on Ukraine at the negotiating table.
“Russia will begin moving toward a freeze only when it starts to clearly lose its advantage in the economy and in the resources needed to wage war,” Mykhailo Samus, a director of the independent New Geopolitics Research Network in Kyiv, told NYT.
“So instead of fantasies, restrictions on Russian oil should be tightened, and air defense systems should be supplied to Ukraine,” he said, adding, “In diplomacy, I see zero signs of progress.”
Russian oil revenues, the most potent fuel for its war effort, have fallen significantly, in part because of Trump administration sanctions, and Moscow is now recruiting fewer men into its miliary than are being lost in Ukraine, according to Western estimates.
But Russia’s assaults on Ukraine have continued unabated. Civilian casualties increased in 2025, according to Conflict Intelligence Team, a research group that uses openly available material to study the war.
With inputs from agencies
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