MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. The United States is aiming to conclude the conflict in Ukraine by summer and will likely pressure Kiev to achieve this goal, Vladimir Zelensky told journalists as cited by the UNIAN agency.

"The US proposes to end the war before the start of summer and will likely exert pressure according to this timeline. <...> Why specifically before summer? As we understand it, their internal issues, which will become more pressing for them, play a role here," he said.

In November 2026, the United States will hold midterm elections, during which Democrats hope to regain control of Congress.

Meanwhile, according to a statement by Vladimir Zelensky, whose words are quoted by We.Ukraine TV on its Telegram channel, Ukraine’s position regarding withdrawal from Donbass following the negotiations in Abu Dhabi remains unchanged. Ukraine refuses and intends to "stand its ground."

"Russia wants our withdrawal from Donbass, while we have said that the most reliable position is to ‘stand our ground.’ The US side is proposing what they see as a compromise option. And we note that the parties discussed this issue," Zelensky stated.

On February 4-5, Abu Dhabi hosted the second round of talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine. Special US Envoy Steve Witkoff said that Moscow and Kiev had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war. According to him, the delegations of Russia and Ukraine intend to continue consultations on the settlement of the conflict in the coming weeks.

The first round of the security consultations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States was also held in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24. The Russian negotiating group was headed by Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff.