Zelensky arrives in US for high-stakes Trump meeting, UN General Assembly

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sept. 21 arrived in the United States, where he is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and discuss efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The two presidents are scheduled to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where hundreds of diplomats and world leaders are gathering to debate global challenges and crises.

In addition to conferring with Trump, Zelensky said that around 20 other meetings with officials and organizations were planned. He also announced that a new deal concerning drones was ready to be signed.

"Of course, Ukraine’s number one priority is bringing peace closer and protecting the lives of our people," Zelensky wrote on X after touching down in New York. "There are concrete security proposals and de-escalation measures that could bring the end of the war closer. We are working to strengthen air defense and ensure sufficient financing for Ukraine."

Zelensky, who held a phone call with Trump on Sept. 20, said their upcoming "meeting could change a lot." The leaders are scheduled to meet on Sept. 22, a Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent.

The Ukrainian leader revealed that he wants to discuss with his U.S. counterpart the possibility of a mutual Ukrainian-Russian pause in strikes against energy infrastructure and targets on the Black Sea.

"There are also ideas on the table for bringing peace closer, starting with strong de-escalation steps. Ukraine's energy sector, critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part," Zelensky said on X ahead of the meeting.

"We are ready to work on this, and we will discuss it with our partners on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York."

Zelensky added that "it will no longer be the case that only the country under attack suffers. The nature of war is now such that the aggressor will suffer as well."

Trump, in turn, commented earlier on Sept. 21 that the war has inflicted heavy damage to the Russian oil refining industry and urged an end to the fighting. The U.S. president has previously linked Ukrainian strikes against Russian refineries to the surging global diesel prices, a claim disputed by experts.

The scheduled meeting comes amid a renewed effort by Washington to broker an end to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, ongoing for more than four and a half years.

Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, traveled to Kyiv and Moscow earlier in September to advance peace talks, which had been stalled for months amid Russia's territorial demands and Washington's shift of focus toward the war with Iran.

The visit also comes shortly after Trump signed a major sanctions bill granting him authority to impose a 100% tariff on leading buyers of Russian oil and gas, and the U.S. State Department greenlit a possible $2.7 billion sale of air defenses to Ukraine.

Despite the renewed diplomatic efforts, the Ukrainian leader has previously said that the active phase of the war is likely to continue into the winter, when Moscow is expected to launch a new wave of attacks against Ukrainian cities and the energy grid.

To secure its skies, Kyiv seeks additional U.S.-made Patriot missile interceptors and is leading talks with the U.S. on licenses to produce them directly in Ukraine.

Zelensky previously met Trump in White House on July 28. During his trip to New York, the Ukrainian president is expected to meet with other top foreign officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.