Russia presented the US with a US$12 trillion ($20t) economic co-operation proposal, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Photo / Getty Images
Russia presented the United States with a US$12 trillion ($20t) economic co-operation proposal, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The proposal, dubbed the “Dmitriev package” after Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, was uncovered by Ukrainian intelligence, Zelenskyy said.
He also revealed that the US has set a June deadline for Ukraine and Russia to reach a peace deal, despite Kyiv and Moscow remaining in deadlock over territory.
“Intelligence showed me the so-called ‘Dmitriev package’ that he presented in the US – it amounts to around [US]$12 trillion,” Zelenskyy said.
Bilateral economic deals with the US form part of the broader negotiating process, but the Ukrainian President warned that they must not infringe on Ukraine’s constitution.
“Probably some things in US-Russia relations do not concern us. But if they somehow affect our national interests, the Ukrainian people, our territories – then we would like to see this, so that there are no problems later, and this definitely should not happen contrary to the interests of Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy said.
The move suggests Moscow is intensifying efforts to influence US President Donald Trump, amid a constant tug of war with Ukraine to win Washington’s favour as the US pushes for a diplomatic breakthrough.
Some experts were sceptical about the proposed economic package, pointing out that US$12t is several times Russia’s entire GDP.
Russia, which occupies around 20% of Ukraine, is pushing for full control of the eastern Donetsk region as part of any peace deal.
Ukraine says ceding ground will embolden Moscow and said it will not sign an agreement that fails to deter Russia from invading again.
Zelenskyy said if the June deadline was not met, the US would be likely to put increased pressure on Ukraine to get a deal over the line.
“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,” he said.
“And they say that they want to do everything by June. And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events.”
He said the Trump Administration had proposed holding the next round of trilateral talks in the US for the first time, likely in Miami. “We confirmed our participation,” he added.
The proposed talks follow US-brokered meetings in Abu Dhabi that ended without progress, as both sides clung to irreconcilable demands.
Russia is pressing Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas, where fighting remains intense – a condition Kyiv says it will never accept. Ukraine has proposed freezing the conflict along the current front lines, but Russia has rejected the idea.
“Difficult issues remained difficult,” Zelenskyy said.
“Ukraine once again confirmed its positions on the Donbas issue. ‘We stand where we stand’ is the fairest and most reliable model for a ceasefire today, in our opinion.”
He said no agreement had been reached on the future of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and voiced scepticism over a US proposal to turn the Donbas into a free economic zone as a potential compromise.
Zelenskyy also said that Kyiv will not tolerate Russia and the US making deals about Ukraine behind its back.
Military teams had discussed in detail the technical aspects of how to monitor a potential ceasefire, Zelenskyy said.
Security guarantees for Ukraine and agreements on economic co-operation, referred to by officials as “the prosperity plan” that outlined Ukraine’s post-war recovery, were also covered.
The diplomatic push comes as Russia launched one of its largest attacks of the year on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, worsening an already strained electricity supply.
More than 400 drones and around 40 missiles were launched overnight targeting the energy grid, generation facilities and distribution networks, the Ukrainian President said.
Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state electricity transmission operator, said the barrage marked the second mass strike on energy infrastructure since the start of the year and had forced nuclear power plants to reduce output. Eight facilities in eight regions came under attack, it said.
It said the power deficit in the country has increased “significantly” as a result of the attacks.
Emergency blackouts have also been implemented throughout Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, the Ukrainian Energy Minister, said.
The strikes come as temperatures across Ukraine remain well below freezing.
“Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the overnight strikes, made via “high-precision long-range sea- and air-based weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles”, were aimed at energy and transport infrastructure facilities, as well as enterprises manufacturing drones, Interfax reported.
Ukrainian troops struck an oil depot known as “Balashovo” in Russia’s Saratov region, the Ukrainian General Staff said.