USA willing to help Ukraine with interceptors, but no concrete answers yet – Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, aiming to bring an end to the war in Ukraine before winter. Zelenskyy expressed his satisfaction with the positive and productive meeting, stating that both the U.S. and Ukraine desire the cessation of Russia's relentless war. The two leaders also discussed a potential winter air defence package for Ukraine, along with other bilateral and multilateral issues.

Since the inception of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has been subjected to nearly continuous bombardment, with a particular focus on the country's energy infrastructure during winter periods. In response, Ukraine has targeted Russian energy facilities, including oil refineries, terminals, and depots, as part of a deep strike campaign aimed at weakening the Russian economy and impacting the Kremlin's war efforts.

Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian forces had targeted an oil refinery in Bashkortostan and another in the Samara region within the past 24 hours. During a press conference with Trump, the US President acknowledged the significant impact of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities, emphasizing that it had also inflicted a considerable blow to the price of diesel.

Trump further called for the end of the ongoing war, highlighting the unfortunate loss of approximately 25,000 lives each month, mostly soldiers.

Zelenskyy proposed a reciprocal de-escalation strategy, expressing Ukraine's willingness to cease strikes on Russia's energy industry if Moscow reciprocated by halting its attacks. The Ukrainian leader emphasized the necessity of safeguarding Ukraine's energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports from Russian targeting, asserting that this would pave the way for corresponding de-escalation steps from both nations.