Zelensky meets Trump, says Ukraine ready for energy truce with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Kyiv is ready to accept an energy-related ceasefire with Russia, following a roughly 40-minute meeting with US President Donald Trump at United Nations headquarters in New York. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Zelensky said Ukraine was open to any format of an energy truce with Moscow, provided Russia also halted its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The statement represents a potential, though limited, step in a war that has now lasted more than four years and has increasingly targeted energy facilities on both sides.

The Zelensky-Trump meeting took place amid broader diplomatic efforts to end or at least de-escalate the war before winter sets in. According to multiple reports, Trump emphasized the need to settle the conflict before the cold season begins, while Zelensky said he hoped the United States could help bring the war to an end “before winter.” The Ukrainian leader also acknowledged that the coming winter could be “very difficult” for his country, underscoring the urgency behind the push for an energy-focused arrangement.

According to Zelensky, Trump did not raise the issue of Ukraine unilaterally halting its own strikes on Russian energy facilities during their talks. Those Ukrainian strikes—which Trump described as “a serious hit against the Russians” and which he suggested were contributing to higher diesel prices inside Russia—have intensified in recent days. On September 20, Ukrainian forces reportedly launched more than 1,600 drones against Russian targets, with images showing a large blaze at a refinery, reportedly coinciding with a vote in Russia's State Duma. Zelensky made clear that any halt to Ukraine's own strike campaign would have to come as part of a mutual arrangement rather than as a unilateral concession by Kyiv.

Alongside the talks on a possible energy truce, Zelensky warned of a new, large-scale Russian attack. Following a separate meeting on security and air defense with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, he said Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russia was preparing a “massive attack” against the country. Several international outlets picked up on the warning, with some reports also referencing a possible attack on Kyiv itself, linked to an additional warning from a NATO commander. The precise nature and timing of the feared attack were not specified in the available reporting.

Zelensky also reiterated his willingness to take part in a trilateral meeting involving himself, Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He expressed hope that the United States could find a way to bring Moscow to the negotiating table in some form. Trump, for his part, struck an optimistic tone on multiple occasions around the UN General Assembly. He said he and Zelensky had a “very good relationship” and were working together toward a solution to the conflict. In remarks to the General Assembly, Trump said he expected peace between Ukraine and Russia to be achieved “sooner than expected,” and separately said the two sides were going to “make a deal” soon. He also said he was discussing the terms of a possible peace agreement directly with Putin, according to Russian state media citing his comments.

At the same time, Trump indicated that the United States was studying tougher sanctions legislation against Russia, describing a relevant bill as “very severe,” though he did not provide details on its timing or scope. This suggests a degree of tension between his simultaneous signals of an imminent deal and continued pressure through sanctions, raising questions about how the two approaches are meant to work together.

So far, there has been no confirmation from Russia on whether Moscow is prepared to agree to an energy ceasefire or to participate in a trilateral summit. The scope of any potential energy truce—including which facilities would be covered and how compliance might be monitored—also remains unclear based on available reporting. Similarly uncertain is whether and when the large-scale Russian attack referenced by Zelensky might occur, and how it could affect the parallel diplomatic track.

Taken together, the events of September 22 point to a mix of cautious diplomatic optimism—driven by public statements from both Trump and Zelensky—and continued military tension, including reciprocal strikes on energy infrastructure and warnings of a possible new large-scale offensive. How these competing dynamics will evolve in the coming weeks, particularly as winter approaches, remains an open question based on the information currently available.