Zelensky not on Trump's published UNGA bilateral schedule, US ambassador says
The schedule published by US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz for President Donald Trump's 21–22 September visit to New York does not list Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky among the leaders Trump plans to meet bilaterally on the margins of the 81st UN General Assembly. The schedule does include bilaterals with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the heads of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez. Two anonymous Ukrainian officials told Suspilne on 19 September that as of that date the meeting was not confirmed.
Key points
- US Ambassador Mike Waltz published Trump's schedule for a 21–22 September visit to New York on the UNGA sidelines.
- Zelensky is not listed among leaders Trump plans to meet bilaterally during the trip.
- Trump is set to arrive in New York on the afternoon of 21 September and hold political events at Trump Tower that evening.
- On 22 September Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly and hold bilaterals with UK PM Andy Burnham and Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi.
- Trump is also scheduled to meet GCC heads and acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez before returning to Washington on the evening of 22 September.
- Two anonymous Ukrainian officials told Suspilne on 19 September that a Trump–Zelensky bilateral had not been confirmed.
- On 8 September Zelensky said he expected to meet Trump in late September to discuss a 'winter package' of air defense, and on 16 September Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi said teams from both sides were still working on preparing the meeting.
Why it matters
A Zelensky–Trump meeting on the margins of UNGA had been one of the most anticipated diplomatic moments of the week for Kyiv. Its absence from the published schedule suggests a possible downgrade in direct US–Ukraine engagement at the highest level, even as the wider war continues. It also exposes a gap between earlier public expectations — created by statements from Zelensky and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry that a meeting was being prepared — and the final published schedule.
What happened
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz published the schedule for President Trump's 21–22 September visit to New York, where world leaders are gathered for the 81st UN General Assembly. The schedule does not include a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the published program, Trump is set to arrive in New York on the afternoon of 21 September and attend political events at Trump Tower that evening. On 22 September he is to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly, then hold bilateral meetings with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The schedule also lists meetings with the heads of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, before Trump returns to the White House on the evening of 22 September. Two anonymous Ukrainian officials told Suspilne on 19 September that a Trump–Zelensky bilateral had not been confirmed. In his UNGA speech, Trump plans to discuss peace arrangements being worked on by his administration, preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, the results of his administration's work over the past year, the situation in the Western Hemisphere, and progress on the 20-point peace plan for Gaza.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets frame the story around the absence of Zelensky from Trump's published schedule, repeatedly foregrounding 'Зеленського немає' — Zelensky is not on the list — in their headlines. Several Ukrainian pieces contrast the published schedule with earlier Ukrainian-side statements: Zelensky's 8 September remarks that he expected to meet Trump in late September to discuss a 'winter package' of anti-ballistic defense, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's confirmation of a preliminary agreement on a meeting, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi's 16 September statement that Ukrainian and US teams were still working on preparing it. One Ukrainian commentary, by PENTA Center analyst Oleksandr Leonov on Radio NV, explores why Trump may be avoiding the meeting and argues that Trump lacks leverage and that Ukraine is ready to work toward a ceasefire while Russia is not.
Where reporting differs
Earlier Ukrainian and US statements — Zelensky on 8 September, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, and spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi on 16 September — indicated a Zelensky–Trump meeting at UNGA was being prepared. The schedule published by US Ambassador Mike Waltz does not list Zelensky, and two anonymous Ukrainian officials told Suspilne on 19 September that the meeting was not confirmed.
Background
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened on 8 September, with the general debate scheduled for 22–28 September. On 8 September, President Zelensky said he expected to meet Trump in late September to discuss a 'winter package' of ballistic and air defense for Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said a preliminary agreement on a meeting had been reached. On 16 September, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said teams from both countries were still working on preparing the meeting.