A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US leader Donald Trump has begun in New York. According to the preliminary schedule, it will last about 45 minutes. The President’s Office broadcast the start of the talks.
“I hope we will end this war, and President Trump will help to end it. I think we must make it possible before winter. We will discuss many important things,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said ahead of the closed-door talks.
Donald Trump, responding to journalists’ questions, noted that Ukrainians are very capable fighters.
The Ukrainian president’s visit to the United States is taking place as part of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week. In addition to taking part in the session, Zelenskyy has a number of bilateral talks scheduled.
The meeting with Donald Trump was preceded by a phone call held this Sunday, on the day of powerful Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries in Moscow. According to the US press, Trump asked Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to strike Russia’s diesel capacity.
Yesterday, the US leader published a post in which he said that Russia had “unfortunately” lost control of the diesel industry because of the war with Ukraine. He said the war needs to be brought to an end. Commenting on this, Zelenskyy said the war really does need to end and that Ukraine has submitted dozens of proposals on how to do so.
The Guardian wrote that the US president will likely press his Ukrainian counterpart during the meeting to agree an energy ceasefire with Russia. Ukraine has repeatedly stressed that it is ready for any ceasefire options, but Russia’s actions must be proportionate.
- The previous meeting between the US and Ukrainian presidents took place on 28 July. Zelenskyy said they discussed licences to produce interceptors for Patriot systems and “some other ideas that could help”.
- In early August, the US president, speaking to journalists at the White House, effectively acknowledged his reluctance to provide Ukraine with interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems. Trump said that “we need them ourselves too”.
- After that, the Ukrainian side reported that dialogue with the US on licences is continuing.