The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has stated that during a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, he agreed to a face-to-face meeting in New York. The meeting is expected to take place on the sidelines of the high-level week of the UN General Assembly. Kyiv had previously suggested that the presidents might discuss a maritime and energy truce.
Briefly about the main points
- Zelenskyy reported on a telephone conversation with the US President.
- The parties agreed to hold face-to-face talks in New York.
- The meeting is expected to take place during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly.
- The Ukrainian and American teams had previously prepared the agenda for the talks.
- Kyiv suggested that energy and Black Sea shipping could be possible topics.
Preparations for meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly
The high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York runs from 18 to 28 September, with the general debate scheduled for 22–28 September. Previously Zelensky He suggested 21–23 September as a tentative timeframe for the trip.
The Ukrainian and American teams have already been working on organising the meeting and its agenda. This was reported on 16 September by a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Georgy Tikhiy. In addition to talks with Trump, the Ukrainian President’s visit to New York will include meetings with representatives of the US Congress, the business community and the Ukrainian community.
Maritime security and energy are among the possible topics
Until their most recent telephone conversation, Zelenskyy had said that the subject of future discussions might be maritime and energy truce. The Ukrainian side has stated that it is open to reaching agreements on ceasing attacks on energy infrastructure and ensuring the safety of shipping in the Black Sea.
Kyiv’s position on energy matters is based on reciprocity: Ukraine is prepared to consider limiting its strikes in return for a genuine commitment from Russia not to attack Ukrainian infrastructure. This may mean that the negotiations will address not only the idea of a partial ceasefire itself, but also the conditions for its implementation.
The maritime aspect relates to the security of Black Sea shipping, ports and logistics. These issues have been identified as possible topics for discussion between the presidents.
