Trump to Meet Zelenskyy in New York Amid Escalating Russia-Ukraine Fighting

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Tuesday, according to Axios, which reported the development early Monday. The meeting coincides with intensified American diplomatic activity aimed at securing a mutual de-escalation agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Preparations and Diplomatic Coordination

Barak Ravid, Axios’s correspondent, cited Rustem Umerov — Ukraine’s Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service and Zelenskyy’s chief negotiator — who confirmed he has been coordinating closely with White House envoys in recent days to prepare for the Tuesday meeting. Umerov stated that negotiations are subject to intense public and media scrutiny, drawing criticism, yet emphasized sustained focus on solutions. He praised Steve Witkoff’s collaboration, saying: “Steve has done a great job with us; we’re not wasting time and are concentrating on finding solutions.”

Zelenskyy confirmed the upcoming meeting following a Sunday telephone call with Trump, noting it would take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly sessions in New York. In a post on X, he described the conversation as “important,” added that “we accomplished a lot,” and said the New York meeting “could change a lot” amid what he called “diplomatic momentum.”

Broader U.S. Diplomatic and Policy Context

The meeting follows two major U.S. policy actions signed by Trump in recent days: the enactment of new sanctions against Russia and approval of the largest U.S.-Ukraine arms deal since Trump assumed office — both long-sought by Kyiv.

Umerov told Axios that reports claiming frustration within the Ukrainian government toward Witkoff were inaccurate. He stressed that his team has worked daily with Witkoff and Jared Kushner — Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor — over the past year. “Our main focus is on ending the war, securing security guarantees, and achieving prosperity for the Ukrainian people,” he said.

He added that negotiations have made substantial progress: “In particular, the number of obstacles has decreased from dozens to just one or two key issues still under discussion.” He characterized the trajectory as positive, noting that “America is heavily focused on stopping the war in Ukraine, understands the reality on the battlefield, and is sending signals to all parties that this horrific war must end.”

Military Escalation and Russian Positioning

Simultaneous with diplomatic efforts, fighting has intensified. Ukraine launched a missile strike on Moscow on Sunday, hitting an oil refinery. Russia, in turn, has carried out near-daily missile attacks on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities over recent weeks.

Russia has signaled willingness to consider de-escalation steps ahead of winter and to resume trilateral talks with the United States and Ukraine. However, only minimal progress has been achieved toward a concrete agreement.

A source familiar with the Sunday call revealed that Trump repeatedly urged Zelenskyy to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, citing their impact on global diesel prices. The source noted: “The word ‘diesel’ was mentioned multiple times during the call.”

Earlier this week, the Kyiv Independent reported growing frustration within the Ukrainian government regarding Witkoff’s mediation efforts. That report followed a recent visit to Kyiv by Witkoff and Kushner — their first since the war began.

Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s readiness to take “very serious steps” to reach a de-escalation agreement with Russia.