Trump and Zelensky discuss ending the war and a possible energy truce
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky met in New York during the UN General Assembly to discuss ending the war, including a possible reciprocal halt to attacks on energy sites. Trump predicted a deal but did not disclose its terms; Zelensky said the meeting produced no agreement and urged an end to the war before winter.
Key points
- The meeting focused on ending the war and whether both sides could stop attacks on energy infrastructure.
Evidence · 2 source statements
Zelenskyy told reporters after the meeting that the two met for 40 minutes and discussed how to end the four-year-old war as well as the potential for a bilateral ceasefire on…
he and US President Donald Trump had discussed efforts to end the four-year-old war with Russia, including a potential bilateral ceasefire on energy-related targets.
- Zelensky offered to consider an energy truce if Russia also stopped attacks; no agreement on a truce was announced.
Evidence · 3 source statements
The Ukrainian president said Kyiv was ready for any format of energy truce with Russia but that there had been no discussion of Ukraine unilaterally halting its attacks on…
“We are ready for any kind of format of energy ceasefire” if Russia agrees to “not attack our energy system,”
No agreements were reached, he said.
- Trump voiced confidence in a broader deal but kept its terms private, while Zelensky said the meeting produced no agreements.
Evidence · 3 source statements
I think they're going to make a deal
I don't want to say what the deal is.
No agreements were reached, he said.
Who's involved
Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukraine's president and a participant in the meeting.
He said Ukraine wanted the war to end before winter and was ready to consider an energy ceasefire if Russia stopped attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He also said he was ready for a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin.
What they said · 4 source statements
“We are ready for any kind of format of energy ceasefire” if Russia agrees to “not attack our energy system,”
Zelenskyy said that he also was ready to meet the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, at a trilateral meeting with Trump.
For his part, Zelenskyy has said he was ready for "any format" of an energy ceasefire with Moscow, as long as Russia halted its own attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure —…
Donald Trump
The U.S. president and a participant in the meeting, with influence over U.S. support and diplomacy.
He said a deal could be reached and stressed the importance of ending the conflict before winter, but did not disclose the deal's terms. He also expressed concern about damage to Russian fuel-processing capacity and its effect on diesel prices.
What they said · 6 source statements
I think we're going to make a deal
I think they're going to make a deal
I don't want to say what the deal is.
"Before winter. Big thing - before winter,"
had expressed concern in recent days over the extensive damage done to Russia’s fuel-processing capacity
which he said was stoking diesel prices globally.
Where accounts differ
How successful the meeting was
- Zelensky called the meeting positive and productive, though he said it produced no agreements.
Evidence · 2 source statements
"positive and productive,"
No agreements were reached, he said.
- Strana.ua reported that the meeting did not meet Kyiv's expectations and that no concrete decisions were made.
Evidence · 2 source statements
The accounts differ in their assessment of the meeting, but can both be true: Zelensky's positive description does not mean that an agreement or concrete decision was reached.
What was reported
- Trump and Zelensky met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 22.
Reported independently by 2: France 24, TASS
Evidence · 2 source statements
On Tuesday, September 22, Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in New York to discuss the war in Ukraine.
The meeting with Zelensky took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
- Zelensky said the meeting lasted 40 minutes and covered ending the war and a possible bilateral ceasefire involving energy targets.
One source: CBC News
Evidence · 1 source statement
Zelenskyy told reporters after the meeting that the two met for 40 minutes and discussed how to end the four-year-old war as well as the potential for a bilateral ceasefire on…
- Trump said he expected Russia and Ukraine to reach a deal, but declined to say what its terms would be.
One source: TASS
Evidence · 2 source statements
I think they're going to make a deal
I don't want to say what the deal is.
- Zelensky said Ukraine was open to different forms of an energy truce, but that a unilateral Ukrainian halt to attacks on Russian refineries had not been discussed.
One source: CBC News
Evidence · 1 source statement
The Ukrainian president said Kyiv was ready for any format of energy truce with Russia but that there had been no discussion of Ukraine unilaterally halting its attacks on…
- Zelensky described the meeting as positive and productive, but also said no agreements were reached.
Reported independently by 2: CBC News, France 24
Evidence · 2 source statements
"positive and productive,"
No agreements were reached, he said.
- Zelensky said there was no concrete commitment to further U.S. deliveries of Patriot air-defense missiles.
Reported independently by 3: Associated Press, Der Spiegel, Fox News
Evidence · 3 source statements
They are positive to help us, but I didn't get the very concrete answer,
Zelenskyy also said Trump had expressed a willingness to help Ukraine obtain additional air defense capabilities, although no concrete commitment on immediate missile deliveries…
- Trump told Zelensky to discuss Starlink use with Elon Musk, according to a report relaying Newsmax.
One source: Newsmax
Evidence · 1 source statement
How coverage differed
Russian state media — TASS highlighted Trump's refusal to specify possible Ukrainian concessions and his confidence in a deal; RIA Novosti emphasized Trump's dominance of the press exchange and accounts portraying the meeting as disappointing for Kyiv.
Other international outlets — These reports mainly foregrounded the possible reciprocal energy ceasefire, Zelensky's conditions for it, and the broader effort to end the war.
Still unclear
- Russia's response to Zelensky's proposed reciprocal energy truce is not included.
- Trump did not disclose the terms of the broader deal he expected.
- No concrete U.S. commitment to further Patriot missile deliveries was announced.
Not heard from
- Russian government — Russia is the other belligerent and would need to take part in any reciprocal energy truce, but no Russian government response to Zelensky's proposal appears here.