‘This meeting could change a lot’: What Trump and Zelenskyy are going to negotiate behind closed doors in New York
The meeting is scheduled on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The Ukraine war is expected to feature prominently during the talks, with Washington seeking practical steps that could reduce hostilities while working towards a peace agreement.
by Zee Media Bureau, Tarique Anwar · Zee NewsWashington DC: US President Donald Trump is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Tuesday (September 22). The meeting is expected to address short-term steps to reduce fighting between Russia and Ukraine and revive peace negotiations.
The two leaaders will meet on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where the US president is also scheduled to address world leaders. Reuters reported that Trump and Zelenskyy agreed to meet after talks between them over phone.
Describing the conversation as “important”, the Ukranian president later said it had created diplomatic momentum.
“I just spoke with President Trump. An important conversation, and we got through a lot. We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum,” he said in a post on X.
The meeting is being arranged with help from Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov, who also heads his country’s foreign intelligence service, according to Axios. They are expected to discuss possible de-escalation measures, security arrangements and ways to bring the two sides back to negotiations.
Trump raises Russian oil refinery strikes
One issue that featured repeatedly in the Trump-Zelenskyy phone call was Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries.
According to Axios, he repeatedly urged his Ukrainian counterpart to stop the strikes, arguing that the attacks were affecting fuel supplies and pushing diesel prices up. A person familiar with the telephonic conversatio told the publication that “the word diesel came up many times during the call”.
Ukraine has used long-range strikes against Russian energy facilities as part of its military strikes. Kyiv has argued that attacks on Russian oil infrastructure can restrict supplies used by Russian forces. Zelenskyy has also previously hinted that Ukraine could halt attacks on Russian energy facilities if Moscow gives guarantees that Ukrainian critical infrastructure will not be targeted.
Energy security is expected to take centrestage in the New York talks. Zelenskyy said the two sides had discussed possible steps involving energy, food and civilian protection.
“The peace track is our number one priority. There are ideas for de-escalation steps and for addressing fundamental security issues – energy security, food security and the protection of human life,” he said.
“We are working together with the American team and are ready to take really serious steps,” he added.
Witkoff and Kushner's Kyiv visit
The scheduled Trump-Zelenskyy talks follow a recent visit to Kyiv by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian president thanked his US counterpart for sending the two officials and said they had gone through details of the war and seen conditions in Ukraine themselves.
“I thanked the President for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s visit to Kyiv. We went through the key details thoroughly, and they saw the situation in Ukraine firsthand,” Zelenskyy said.
The visit was part of a US diplomatic effort to get talks moving again. US and Ukrainian officials have also been examining possible short-term measures for the coming winter, with energy infrastructure and civilian needs among the issues under consideration.
The war continues to involve long-range missile and drone attacks by both Moscow and Kyiv, even as Washington works on diplomatic options.
Pay up or pay out
Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy also comes days after the US president signed a new Russia sanctions law.
The US president signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on September 18. The law adds new sanctions targeting Russia's energy and defence sectors, financial institutions, officials and its so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers used to move Russian oil while avoiding sanctions.
The legislation also gives Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas under specified conditions. The measure passed the Senate 86-11 and the House 262-159 before the president signed it into law.
Zelenskyy welcomed the law and referred to the late Senator Lindsey Graham's support for tougher measures against Russia.
“When Lindsey Graham was here in Ukraine, he would always talk about how important it was not to ease pressure on Russia, to strengthen sanctions and seek a path to peace,” he said in an earlier post.
“The best way to honour Lindsey’s memory will be to implement the provisions of this law fully and swiftly,” he added.
The sanctions law gives Washington another economic tool as the Trump administration pursues diplomacy with Moscow and Kyiv. The tariff authority also has implications for countries that continue to purchase Russian energy, including major importers such as India and China.
Zelenskyy ended his latest post by reiterating his support for the diplomatic effort, saying, “We all concur – there must be peace.”
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