The United States is pressing for an ambitious March timeline for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, while also urging Kyiv to consider holding national elections and a referendum shortly afterward, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
According to Reuters, US and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed a framework under which any potential peace deal would be put to a nationwide referendum, possibly alongside presidential and parliamentary elections, though major political, legal and security obstacles remain unresolved.
March deadline faces skepticism
Three sources told Reuters that US officials have floated March as a target month for reaching an agreement, but acknowledged that the timeline is likely to slip due to unresolved disputes over territory.
“There’s still no progress on the territorial question,” one source familiar with the talks said.
Russia continues to demand control over all of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, even though Kyiv still holds significant parts of it. Ukrainian officials have described that demand as unacceptable, though some have signaled openness to exploring alternative arrangements, such as demilitarized or special economic zones.
The fate of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has also emerged as a major sticking point. One source said Moscow rejected a US proposal that would place the facility under American control while supplying electricity to both sides.
US urges quick vote
Under the framework discussed, any agreement would be submitted to Ukrainian voters in a referendum, with national elections potentially held at the same time. Two sources said May has been mentioned as a possible window for such a vote.
The US negotiating team, led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, has told Ukrainian counterparts that an early vote would be preferable, several sources said.
US officials have warned that Trump is expected to shift his focus increasingly to domestic priorities as congressional midterm elections approach in November, limiting the administration’s time and political capital for brokering a Ukraine deal.
“The Americans are in a hurry,” one source said, adding that while an election could theoretically be organized in under six months, it would still require major logistical and legal changes.
Legal and security hurdles
Elections and referendums are currently prohibited under Ukraine’s martial law, meaning legislative changes would be required. Ukrainian election authorities have previously estimated that organizing a nationwide vote under wartime conditions would take around six months.
Kyiv has also insisted on a comprehensive ceasefire throughout any voting process to ensure its integrity, citing Russia’s record of violating previous truces.
“Kyiv’s position is that nothing can be agreed until the security guarantees for Ukraine from the United States and partners are in place,” one source said.
However, according to remarks by Zelensky, Washington has now set a broader deadline.
Zelensky told reporters that the United States has given both Ukraine and Russia until June to reach an agreement to end the war, now approaching its fourth year.
If that deadline is missed, he said, the administration of Donald Trump is expected to increase pressure on both sides to move toward a settlement.
“The Americans are proposing that the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer,” Zelensky said. “They want a clear schedule of all events and will put pressure on the parties according to this timeline.”
Talks continue amid tensions
A second round of US-brokered talks concluded this week in Abu Dhabi, resulting in the release of 314 prisoners of war and an agreement to continue negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the next trilateral meeting could take place soon in the United States.
While Ukraine has sent senior political figures to the talks, Russia’s delegation is led by military officials, including the head of the GRU military intelligence agency, Adm. Igor Kostyukov.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha denied Russian accusations that Kyiv was involved in the recent shooting of Kostyukov’s deputy – Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev – in Moscow, which Russia claimed was an attempt to derail peace efforts.
Uncertain public support
One Ukrainian official told Reuters that Zelensky is open to elections in the near future and remains confident he would win, despite a decline in approval ratings since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea and parts of the Donbas. Polls show that a majority of Ukrainians still oppose territorial concessions, even in exchange for Western security guarantees, though resistance to such compromises has softened slightly over the past year.
Several sources cautioned that even if negotiators reach a deal, Ukrainian voters could ultimately reject it at the ballot box.