US sets June deadline for Ukraine-Russia peace talks amid energy attack surge

President Zelensky says Washington has given Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach a peace agreement, with U.S. pressure likely if no deal emerges as talks may move to a trilateral format in the near term. Meanwhile Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid have forced nuclear plants to cut output and prolonged outages, complicating diplomacy as Kyiv reiterates its Donbas positions and skepticism toward proposals like a Donbas-free economic zone.