BREAKING: Zelensky, Trump meet in New York amid surging Russia-NATO tensions
President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Aug. 18, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelensky met his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23.
The meeting, their fourth since Trump returned to office in January, comes amid rising tensions between NATO and Moscow over Russian aerial incursions into allied countries, while the U.S. push to broker peace in Ukraine has stalled.
"We have great respect for the fight Ukraine is putting up. It is pretty amazing," Trump told journalists. "We have a lot of meetings scheduled today going pretty late into the night, but this is an important one."
Asked about progress since his last meeting with Zelensky, Trump pointed to the state of Russia's economy and Ukraine's resilience.
"Well, the biggest progress is that the Russian economy is terrible right now," he said. "It's crashing. And frankly, Ukraine is doing a very good job of stopping this very large army. It's pretty amazing."
"This was supposed to be quick, three or four days, but it's been three and a half years of very hard fighting. Russia doesn't look very distinguished," he added, saying the war looks like "it's not going to end for a long time."
The Ukrainian president spoke about developments on the battlefield, saying Ukrainian troops had advanced some 360 kilometers (223 miles) in recent weeks and inflicted losses on Russian forces.
"Thanks to our soldiers, we have this possibility, this opportunity, and we will continue until Russia stops this war," Zelensky said.
He urged more international pressure, adding: "We need more pressure and more sanctions."
Asked by reporters if he still trusted Putin, Trump responded: "I'll let you know in about a month from now."
On the question of whether the U.S. would provide Ukraine with long-term security guarantees, Trump said: "That's later down the road … a little bit too early to answer."
Trump has also been pressuring European allies to stop buying Russian energy resources, arguing that continued purchases help Russia continue its war.
Hungary has remained a key importer of Russian oil despite repeated calls to cut dependence.
Trump said that he might talk to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban about the issue.
"He's a friend of mine," he said. "I have not spoken to him, but I have a feeling that, if I did, he might stop. And I think I'll be doing that."
Zelensky is meeting Trump during the high-level U.N. General Assembly week that is expected to bring together leaders from nearly 150 countries.
Arriving in New York with First Lady Olena Zelenska late on Sept. 22, the Ukrainian president already met special U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg and other officials and is set to hold talks with leaders from around the world.
The upcoming week will also include the first leaders' summit of the Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children and the annual Crimea Platform Summit.
"Support from partners is essential. And such new support will undoubtedly be the outcome of this diplomatic week," Zelensky said after touching down in the U.S. on Sept. 22.
The talks between the two presidents come as Trump's months-long effort to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow has yielded little result.
After his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15 and with Zelensky and European leaders in Washington on Aug. 18, Trump said he would seek to organize a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.
No new announcement has been made since then, as the Kremlin continues to avoid in-person talks with Zelensky, who already voiced readiness to meet Putin.
Trump has been inconsistent in his approach to resolving the Russia-Ukraine war, often blaming Kyiv, Moscow, and the Biden administration for the ongoing conflict.
While repeatedly threatening additional sanctions against Russia, Trump's actions have so far been limited to tariffs on India — Russia's leading buyer of oil — while demanding that Europe step up pressure as well.
More recently, the U.S. president's position seemed to have leaned in Ukraine's favor, as he greenlighted the supply of new weapons paid for by NATO allies and even signalled support for European efforts to provide post-war security guarantees to Ukraine.
In the meantime, Moscow has not only intensified aerial attacks and ground operations against Ukraine but also flown drones into Poland and Romania and fighter jets into Estonia.
The incursions, seen by observers as an attempt to test NATO's defenses and resolve, were met with outrage in Europe, but a considerably more muted response from the White House.
Trump initially suggested that the incursion of about 20 Russian drones into Poland overnight on Sept. 10 may have been a "mistake" — an assertion promptly rejected by Warsaw.
When pressed on the subject of Russian provocations again after the incursion in Estonia, Trump confirmed that the U.S. would back its NATO allies if Moscow continues to escalate the situation.
Nevertheless, European capitals are growing concerned about Trump's resolve to defend his allies, especially in light of his past criticism of NATO and plans to cut down military presence in Europe and, reportedly, assistance to the alliance's eastern members.
