US Ambassador to NATO refutes Zelenskyy's claim about ending war by summer

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has denied that the United States set a deadline for a peace agreement by the summer, as previously claimed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

As reported by The Guardian, the US ambassador says Washington has not imposed any deadlines, as it simply wants hostilities to end as soon as possible.

"We want the fighting to end. We want both sides to come together and agree to a peace deal. We'd like it sooner rather than later, and … we just want … to see the suffering and the killing end in Ukraine," Whitaker said.

In the diplomat's view, setting deadlines under such conditions is "very dangerous".

"I think we'll just get this done as soon as it's ready to get done. But ultimately, both sides, the Russians and the Ukrainians, are going to have to agree to any deal that's hammered out," Whitaker added.

His comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the United States had proposed ending Russia's war against Ukraine by the beginning of summer, as it would later have another priority – Congressional elections.

Reuters reported on 6 February that American and Ukrainian negotiators discussed the possibility of signing a peace agreement in March and holding elections in Ukraine in May.

Reuters also reported that two key issues remain unresolved in the talks: Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

During talks in Abu Dhabi on 4-5 February, delegations from the United States of America, Ukraine and the Russian Federation discussed methods of implementing a ceasefire and monitoring the cessation of hostilities.