Zelenskyy says Ukraine, not Russia, is facing pressure to make concessions to end war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is currently facing pressure to make concessions in order to end the ongoing war with Russia. He emphasized that the United States has been urging Ukraine to make compromises rather than placing similar demands on Russia. Zelenskyy expressed concern that this dynamic could affect the negotiation process, as he believes the U.S. is too often asking Ukraine for concessions (Reuters, Al Jazeera). During a briefing, Zelenskyy revealed that the U.S. has proposed a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the United States next week to discuss a potential peace deal. He noted that the U.S. aims to finalize negotiations by June, indicating that they want to conclude the war by the beginning of summer (France24, South China Morning Post). Zelenskyy acknowledged that internal issues within the U.S. could influence the urgency of these negotiations, particularly with the upcoming midterm elections in November (South China Morning Post). Zelenskyy also criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, labeling him a "slave to war" and accusing Moscow of stalling the talks. He reiterated Ukraine's willingness to engage in discussions but highlighted the imbalance in the pressure being applied to both parties (Al Jazeera). The proposed talks in Miami are seen as a significant step towards potentially reaching a resolution to the conflict (Japan Times).