Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday the US needed to put more pressure on Russia if it wanted the war to end by summer, adding it was unclear whether Moscow would attend US-brokered peace talks next week.
The Ukrainian leader, who has said previously that Washington wants to end the four-year-old war by June, said Russia was still deliberating over whether to participate in the proposed next round of trilateral peace talks in Miami.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine was ready to attend the meeting, which follows two rounds of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi over the past month that have failed to produce a breakthrough.
"It depends not only on Ukraine, but also on America, which must exert pressure – excuse me for saying so, but there is no other way – it must exert pressure on Russia," he said of a possible peace deal by summer.
US proposes Miami meeting: Sources
The Kremlin said on Tuesday there was no date set yet for the next round of peace talks, but said that negotiations were likely to happen soon.
Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that US officials had proposed a trilateral meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Miami.
The White House declined comment on when the next round of talks would be.
Zelenskiy denied a report on Wednesday by the Financial Times, which said he intended to announce plans on February 24 - the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion - for a presidential election and a referendum on a peace deal.
Ukraine would only hold elections after appropriate security guarantees from the U.S. and other Western allies were in place, Zelenskiy told reporters via a briefing in a WhatsApp chat.
Citing Ukrainian and European officials involved in discussions, the Financial Times reported that Ukraine had begun planning for a presidential election to be held alongside a referendum on a prospective peace deal with Russia.
Asked about the Financial Times article, Zelenskiy told reporters the report was the first time he had heard of such an announcement on February 24.
"Even if there was a goal or appropriate steps were taken to bring certain elections closer, I believe that it would be an absolutely stupid idea to choose such a date to talk about politics," Zelenskiy said. "First security, then politics."
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters Zelenskiy could not set elections and a referendum in motion without first agreeing on terms of a peace deal with Russia.
Kyiv also wants a ceasefire in place throughout any election campaign.
"The Russians do not agree to a deal and they're not taking steps to end the war so how could there be ... steps to hold elections?" the source said.
No breakthrough announced at peace talks
Organising an election as soon as possible is part of a 20-point peace framework that Ukrainian and US negotiators have been working to finalise.
US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi have failed to resolve differences over Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, sources say, and Russia has pressed on with attacks often focused on Ukrainian energy facilities in the depths of a harsh winter.
Russia wants control of the entire Donbas under any peace settlement. Ukraine, which still controls over 2,000 square miles (5,180 square km) of the Donbas, rules this out, but Ukrainian officials have expressed openness to exploring solutions such as creating a demilitarised or free-trade zone.
Zelenskiy said on Saturday that, with US congressional mid-term elections looming, Washington wants a solution found on how to end the war by the summer.
Reuters reported last week that, under the framework being discussed by the US and Ukraine, Kyiv would hold a referendum on any peace agreement alongside an election.
US and Ukrainian officials had discussed the possibility of an election and referendum being held in May, sources told Reuters.
Several sources familiar with the negotiations said that timetable was unrealistic as there was still no peace deal and the logistics for such a vote were considerable.
Ukrainian lawmakers and experts have started a working group to draft proposals for legal changes needed to hold an election.
Although US President Donald Trump wants elections held, they are banned under martial law in force since Russia's 2022 invasion, and a majority of Ukrainians oppose a wartime ballot.
