US and Ukraine work to arrange Trump-Zelenskyy meeting at UN
A meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not been confirmed as both governments prepare for next week’s UN General Assembly in New York.
US and Ukrainian diplomatic teams are working to arrange what Ukraine describes as a “meaningful” meeting between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during next week’s 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, said the teams were actively working on the proposed meeting. Zelenskyy’s visit is also expected to include bilateral talks and engagements with US legislators, business leaders and members of the Ukrainian community.
Zelenskyy and Trump last met at the White House in July, following a contentious Oval Office meeting in 2025. The proposed encounter comes as diplomatic attention remains focused on efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Zelenskyy has said Ukraine would halt attacks on Russian territory if the United States secured a Russian commitment not to strike Ukrainian infrastructure. No such arrangement has been presented as agreed by the US or Russia.
The diplomatic preparations coincide with continued civilian harm from the conflict. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported 1,396 civilian deaths and 7,978 injuries during the first six months of 2026, a 37 per cent increase on the same period a year earlier.
Al Jazeera reported that a Russian drone strike on a bus in Nikopol killed at least five people and injured seven others. The report also said Trump has urged Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure, linking them to higher global fuel prices; the causes of price movements and responsibility for attacks remain contested.
