Zelensky and Trump meet in New York: energy ceasefire, Patriot production and a push to end the war before winter

What happened

On September 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US President Donald Trump in New York on the margins of the 81st UN General Assembly. The press-open portion lasted about seven minutes, after which delegations continued for roughly 40 minutes. Ukraine's delegation was led by Office of the President head Kyrylo Budanov and included Foreign Intelligence Service head Rustem Umerov, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Servant of the People faction head Davyd Arakhamia and deputy OP head Pavlo Palisa. The US side was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The central topic was an energy ceasefire. Zelensky proposed that Ukraine stop striking Russian oil refineries and energy facilities if Russia simultaneously halts attacks on Ukraine's energy, heating and water supply infrastructure. Zelensky said the US side promised to relay the proposal to Moscow. No demand was made for Ukraine to unilaterally stop strikes on Russian territory.

The leaders also discussed licensing production of Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine. Zelensky said Trump is positively disposed toward granting the licenses; the Ukrainian side had already held talks with Raytheon (RTX), which signaled readiness to cooperate. No concrete answer was given on a "winter package" of additional Patriot interceptors for Ukraine, though Zelensky noted no one said "no."

Both leaders publicly expressed hope the war could be ended before winter. Zelensky said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin personally at any time and asked Trump to help organize a trilateral Ukraine–US–Russia summit, including by raising the issue with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump said Putin is ready to meet and wants the war to end; Zelensky, by contrast, said Putin is not ready for a trilateral meeting and not ready to end the war.

In his UNGA speech Trump said the war will end "sooner than people realize" and that the US is "working very closely" with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. He invoked the newly-signed "Lindsey Graham law" sanctions, saying he would use the broad new tariff powers it grants him "if necessary" to stop the killing. Arriving at UN headquarters, Trump told journalists his message to Putin was: "End the war!"

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian reporting frames the meeting as a prepared, substantive encounter rather than a photo-op. Coverage stresses that Zelensky arrived with concrete proposals — a symmetric energy ceasefire, Patriot licensing and a request to involve Xi Jinping — and that the US side did not press Ukraine to unilaterally halt strikes on Russian territory, a key political point for Kyiv. Domestic outlets give prominence to Zelensky's statement that Putin is not ready for trilateral talks or to end the war, casting doubt on Moscow's sincerity. Ukrainian sources highlight the bipartisan signal at the September 21 senators' meeting, Zelensky's call for an air-defense "winter package," and his warnings about a high risk of Russian attacks on European countries. The signing of the Graham sanctions law is presented as additional leverage for Kyiv.

How international sources describe it

International and English-language coverage centers on Trump's UNGA remarks — "End the war!" to Putin, and "sooner than people realize" — and on his invocation of the Graham sanctions law as a pressure tool. Reports note Trump's insistence that both Putin and Zelensky want the war to end and that Putin is ready to meet, in contrast with Zelensky's public skepticism. Pre-meeting coverage in The Guardian and Reuters framed the talks around an energy ceasefire and global diesel prices, highlighting Trump's push for Ukraine to stop striking Russian refineries. International outlets also pick up the trilateral-meeting angle (Trump–Zelensky–Putin) and place the meeting in the wider UNGA context, including Trump's broader speech on Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.

Where reporting differs

Trump and Zelensky publicly disagree on Vladimir Putin's readiness to negotiate. Trump said Putin is ready to meet and wants the war to end; Zelensky said Putin is not ready for a trilateral meeting and is not ready to end the war. The two leaders also framed casualty figures differently: Trump cited roughly 25,000 deaths per month on both sides combined, while Zelensky cited Russian losses of 32,000–35,000 per month.

Background

The meeting took place during the 81st UN General Assembly High-Level Week (September 22–28) in New York, attended by more than 130 heads of state and government. Zelensky began his New York visit on September 21 with a meeting with US senators, where he thanked them for backing the Graham sanctions bill and discussed de-escalation proposals, ballistic missile defense needs and winter challenges. The US House approved the bill (HR 5334) on September 16 after Senate passage in August; Trump signed it into law on September 18–19 as the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctions Act on Russia and Iran 2026," authorizing tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian energy resources. The previous Trump–Zelensky meeting was at the White House on July 28; Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August 2025. On September 20, Trump had urged Zelensky by phone to stop Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, citing global diesel prices.