{"text":[[{"start":10.84,"text":"Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the US is urging Ukraine and Russia to end their war before the start of summer, reflecting growing pressure in Washington for a negotiated settlement as midterm elections approach."}],[{"start":25.18,"text":"The Ukrainian president told reporters at his office in Kyiv on Friday evening that Donald Trump’s delegation had proposed a clear timetable to end the fighting and was pressing for a signed settlement by June during peace talks in Abu Dhabi."}],[{"start":40.83,"text":"As part of that effort, the US has suggested for the first time that Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams meet on American soil — probably Miami — within the next week. "}],[{"start":53.629999999999995,"text":"Zelenskyy hinted that Trump’s political considerations were shaping his administration’s approach to peace talks. "}],[{"start":61.47,"text":"“Elections are definitely more important for them. Let’s not be naive,” he said. “They say that they want to do everything by June . . . so that the war ends. And they want a clear schedule.”"}],[{"start":74.17,"text":"He said that Kyiv had proposed a clear “sequence plan” during the talks, without providing specifics. Security guarantees for Ukraine as well as a “prosperity plan” that outlined Ukraine’s postwar recovery were part of the negotiations, he said."}],[{"start":92.66,"text":"Zelenskyy said Washington had also asked Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a new ceasefire covering strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure, as a limited de-escalation measure during peace talks. "}],[{"start":107.24,"text":"Ukraine, he said, was ready to stop its attacks on Russia’s oil and gas facilities, as well as its shadow fleet of tankers that it has struck in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. "}],[{"start":119.99,"text":"Russia has yet to agree, he added. Overnight into Saturday morning, Russian forces launched more than 400 drones and 40 missiles at Ukraine. Zelenskyy said the main target had been “the power grid, generation and distribution substations”."}],[{"start":136.92,"text":"Trump said last week that Vladimir Putin had agreed to a one-week ceasefire on energy facilities as the harshest winter of the war gripped Kyiv. Russia halted large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s capital and power infrastructure elsewhere only for four days before launching an assault involving more ballistic missiles than any other bombardment since the start of the war."}],[{"start":163.2,"text":"According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian and Russian military representatives discussed in greater detail the technical aspects of monitoring a ceasefire, should a decision be made at the presidential level to end the war. He said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to “the idea that the Americans must monitor” the ceasefire, “if the Americans go for it”."}],[{"start":187.04999999999998,"text":"The FT reported earlier that Ukraine had agreed to a multi-tiered plan with western partners to respond to Russian violations of a ceasefire."}],[{"start":197.45,"text":"For the first time, the Ukrainian leader also shed light on parallel bilateral talks between the US and Russia, which Kyiv was not part of. He said his intelligence officials briefed him on discussions in which Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian special envoy, was promoting development and co-operation deals worth as much as $12tn. "}],[{"start":221.29999999999998,"text":"Referring to it as the “Dmitriev package”, Zelenskyy expressed concern that the US-Russia document could contain provisions “about Ukraine” that would be unacceptable in Kyiv or even unconstitutional. "}],[{"start":235.48,"text":"“For example, with our sovereignty, with the security of Ukraine,” he said, referring to the possible US recognition of occupied territory such as Crimea as Russian."}],[{"start":247.31,"text":"Zelenskyy said Ukraine and Russia remain far apart on the most contentious issues, in particular what to do with the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. "}],[{"start":259.46,"text":"The US has continued to promote a free economic zone for the region. However, Zelenskyy said, “in general, neither Ukraine nor Russia has ever been thrilled by the idea of a free economic zone”."}],[{"start":274.84999999999997,"text":"“Russia wants us to leave Donetsk region,” he said. But he insisted that Ukraine would not unilaterally withdraw from the area."}],[{"start":283.59999999999997,"text":"Zelenskyy said a “common understanding” had also not been reached on postwar authority over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant, which is under Russian control."}],[{"start":294.93999999999994,"text":"Despite what he described as a shift in Russia’s tone during the latest round of peace talks, Zelenskyy warned that “there still is no trust” between Kyiv and Moscow. He said: “We can’t trust them, and they can’t trust us.”"}],[{"start":319.78999999999996,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1770602413_3509.mp3"}