Zelenskyy to meet Trump at UN amid stalled peace talks
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is set to meet with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next week.
Ukrainian media report that Mr Zelenskyy will lead the country’s delegation to New York, where leaders from nearly 150 countries are expected to gather from September 23 to 29.
"There will be a large number of bilateral meetings: business, technology, defense, and the minerals agreement. These will be combined with a major economic meeting. And a meeting with the President of the United States," Mr Zelenskyy stated, according to Interfax Ukraine.
A separate meeting between the First Ladies of Ukraine and the United States is also being considered, focusing on humanitarian issues, particularly Ukrainian children.
According to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, Mr Zelenskyy hopes Mr Trump will offer security guarantees to protect Ukraine from future attacks in the event of a peace agreement. While Mr Trump has expressed a willingness to provide such guarantees, he has not specified their nature.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine previously confirmed that Mr Zelenskyy will be present at the high-level week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. He may also meet with the Polish president, Karol Nawrocki, in New York.
This General Assembly comes as US-led attempts to advance peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled. Moscow has refused serious proposals for a meeting between Mr Zelenskyy and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
While Mr Trump initially threatened Russia with sanctions if it didn't stop the war, he appears to have abandoned any intention of putting direct pressure on Moscow. He has, however, ruled out sending US troops as peacekeeping forces. He has also stated that Europe should play the main role in providing these guarantees.
The Ukrainian and American presidents last met on August 18 during a meeting of European officials at the White House, two days after Mr Trump and Mr Putin met in Alaska. During the Alaska meeting, the First Lady, Melania Trump, handed Mr Putin a letter raising the issue of the forced abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
