Kivy [Ukraine], September 21 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has agreed to meet US President Donald Trump in New York after the two leaders held a phone conversation focused on efforts to advance the peace process and address key security concerns amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelenskyy described the conversation with Trump as important and said it reflected growing diplomatic momentum towards resolving the conflict.
“I just spoke with President Trump. An important conversation, and we got through a lot. We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
The meeting is expected to take place in New York during the upcoming UN General Assembly session. Reuters reported that Zelenskyy said the talks could help advance efforts to resolve the more than four-year-old war with Russia.
Zelenskyy also thanked Trump for the recent visit to Kyiv by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, saying the two had reviewed key details of the situation and witnessed conditions in Ukraine firsthand.
“I thanked the President for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s visit to Kyiv. We went through the key details thoroughly, and they saw the situation in Ukraine firsthand,” he said.
The Ukrainian President said the peace process remains Kyiv's “number one priority” and pointed to discussions on possible de-escalation measures and fundamental security issues.
“There are ideas for de-escalation steps and for addressing fundamental security issues – energy security, food security, and the protection of human life,” Zelenskyy said.
“We are working together with the American team and are ready to take really serious steps,” he added.
The announcement follows US efforts to increase diplomatic engagement over the Ukraine conflict. The planned meeting also comes days after Trump signed into law the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, legislation expanding statutory sanctions, tariffs and other restrictions on Russia while extending existing sanctions on Iran. The White House said Trump signed the legislation on September 18.
Zelenskyy separately thanked Trump for signing the legislation and recalled the late US Senator Lindsey Graham's advocacy for tougher measures against Russia.
“When Lindsey Graham was here in Ukraine, he would always talk about how important it was not to ease pressure on Russia, to strengthen sanctions and seek a path to peace,” Zelenskyy said in an earlier post.
“The best way to honour Lindsey’s memory will be to implement the provisions of this law fully and swiftly,” he added.
The legislation targets Russia's energy and defence sectors, officials, financial institutions and its so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers used to circumvent sanctions. It also gives the US administration authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major purchasers of Russian oil and gas under specified conditions.
Zelenskyy concluded his latest message by reiterating his appreciation for US support and those involved in diplomatic efforts, saying, “We all concur – there must be peace.”