Yermak, Rubio discuss security guarantees, military cooperation ahead of Zelensky-Trump meeting
Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sept. 20, ahead of an anticipated meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump next week.
Yermak, in a post on X, said he "discussed preparations for security guarantees for Ukraine, as well as expanding cooperation in military, defense, and economic areas," with Rubio.
The phone call comes as Zelensky is heading Ukraine's delegation to the UN General Assembly, which is expected to bring together leaders from nearly 150 countries over Sept. 23-29.
I had a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State and Acting National Security Advisor to the President
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) September 20, 2025
@SecRubio of the important meeting between the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States in New York.
I thanked the American side for its consistent and constructive…
Trump has signaled willingness to provide Ukraine with security guarantees but has not specified what those might be.
He has, however, ruled out sending U.S. troops as peacekeeping forces. He has also stated that Europe should play the leading role in providing these guarantees.
The Trump administration also approved its first U.S. weapons aid packages for Ukraine funded by NATO allies under a new financial arrangement on Sept. 16, with the first batch of military equipment under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program arriving days later.
Zelensky confirmed on Sept. 17 that Ukraine will receive Patriot and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) missiles as part of a U.S. weapons aid package financed by NATO allies, although he did not say as to when the weapons would arrive.
No additional information was provided on the call, and it was unclear as to whether the top officials discussed additional weaponry for Ukraine.
Ahead of the meeting, Zelensky confirmed the meeting with Trump on Sept. 20, adding that "There will be a large number of bilateral meetings. Business, technology, defense, the minerals deal. This will be combined with a large economic meeting. And a meeting with the President of the United States of America," the president said.
The meeting will mark their first in-person conversation since Zelensky visited the White House alongside European leaders on Aug. 18, two days after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska.
