‘This meeting could change a lot’: Zelenskyy, Trump agree to New York talks amid Ukraine peace push

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump and confirmed that the two leaders would meet in New York during the UN General Assembly, describing the planned talks as potentially significant for efforts to end the four-and-a-half-year war with Russia.

“We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum,” Zelenskyy said after what he described as an “important conversation” with the US President.

Both leaders are expected to be in New York this week for the UN General Assembly. The precise timing of their meeting has not yet been announced.

Peace ‘number-one priority’

Zelenskyy said ending the war remained Ukraine’s foremost objective and that Kyiv was working with the Trump administration on possible steps towards de-escalation and a broader settlement.

“The peace track is our number-one priority,” he said.

The Ukrainian President said discussions included ideas for de-escalation and ways to address fundamental security issues, including energy security, food security and the protection of human life.

“We are working together with the American team and are ready to take really serious steps,” Zelenskyy said.

Kyiv has previously indicated that Zelenskyy intends to discuss a possible ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure as well as military activity in the Black Sea when he meets Trump.

Ukraine has said it is open to such a limited truce, provided Russia also stops attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Witkoff, Kushner diplomacy

Zelenskyy thanked Trump for sending US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Kyiv earlier this month as Washington seeks to revive negotiations that have struggled to produce a breakthrough.

The American envoys visited Kyiv after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. In Ukraine, they met Zelenskyy and discussed possible frameworks for restarting negotiations, security guarantees and economic arrangements for Ukraine after the war.

Zelenskyy said the US representatives had been able to examine the situation in Ukraine first-hand and discuss key details with the Ukrainian leadership.

The Ukrainian government has maintained that some of the most difficult questions — particularly those concerning territory and long-term security guarantees — would ultimately require negotiations at the level of national leaders.

Energy, Black Sea truce

Ahead of the New York meeting, Zelenskyy has publicly expressed support for exploring a limited ceasefire covering the energy sector and the Black Sea.

Kyiv has said such an arrangement could serve as an initial de-escalation measure even if a comprehensive ceasefire remains out of reach.

Territorial disputes remain among the principal obstacles to a broader agreement. Ukraine has resisted Russian territorial demands, while also seeking firm security guarantees from the United States and European partners as part of any eventual settlement.

Zelenskyy has also stressed that Ukraine must retain a strong military after any peace agreement and has sought continued Western assistance for air defence and the protection of energy infrastructure.

Sanctions pressure

Zelenskyy also thanked Trump for signing legislation imposing additional sanctions on Russia and countries supporting Moscow’s war effort.

The sanctions measure had been championed by late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and was passed by the US Congress this month.

The upcoming Trump-Zelenskyy meeting will take place against the backdrop of continued Russian missile and drone attacks and Ukrainian strikes on targets inside Russia.

While successive US-backed diplomatic efforts have yet to produce a comprehensive settlement, Zelenskyy’s remarks indicate that Kyiv sees the New York meeting as an opportunity to explore concrete de-escalation measures and determine whether the latest diplomatic push can move towards broader negotiations.