After Trump and Zelensky meet in New York, Ukrainian president says he hopes war will end ‘before winter’

On September 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former U.S. President Donald Trump met for about 40 minutes during the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The leaders discussed topics including negotiations with Russia, military aid to Ukraine, and a potential energy truce between Kyiv and Moscow. Prior to the meeting, Trump expressed hope for an early end to the war, stating, "We are working very closely with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, and we will see this through to the end. It will happen, I think, sooner than people realize."

After the meeting, Zelensky expressed his hope that the war would conclude before winter. Finnish President Alexander Stubb echoed this sentiment, expressing the desire for a partial ceasefire in winter. Zelensky also mentioned Trump's potential role in reaching an agreement with Moscow on an energy truce, suggesting that Putin would likely require additional pressure, such as increased sanctions, to agree.

The talks also addressed a "winter package" of military aid. Zelensky requested Patriot missiles from American stockpiles, with the understanding that Ukraine would eventually hand over some of the missiles expected from a future agreement with Germany. While Trump did not immediately agree, he acknowledged the step as "a good one."

The Kremlin did not set any preconditions for peace talks, but Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated he was ready to meet with Trump. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the meeting as a waste of time and stated it could only occur in Moscow. Putin offered to meet with Zelensky in Moscow if he wished, providing all necessary security guarantees.

Discussions on the energy truce were expected to continue on September 23, when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York.