Trump arrives at the 81st UN General Assembly session
On September 22, 2026, US President Donald Trump arrived at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he delivered a speech before the delegations of the organization's member states. As part of the visit, on the sidelines of the General Assembly, one of the key diplomatic meetings of the day took place — negotiations between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which were held that same evening, as previously announced by US Secretary of State Mark Rubio.
Address to Putin: what journalists asked Trump
Upon arriving at the General Assembly venue, journalists asked the US president what specific message he was addressing to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In response, Trump revealed his message, which, according to observers, became one of the most quoted moments of his speech at the UN session. The context of the address is shaped against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the parties' attempts to work out conditions for halting the escalation.
Trump–Zelensky meeting: energy and maritime ceasefire
Before the meeting in New York, Volodymyr Zelensky publicly stated that he intended to discuss with Donald Trump the introduction of an energy and maritime ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. US Secretary of State Mark Rubio confirmed that on the evening of September 22 the leaders of the two countries planned to discuss the terms of an energy ceasefire. Thus, the public agenda of the negotiations features at least two areas: the energy sector and maritime security, although the official position of Washington places the emphasis primarily on the energy component.
Expert assessment: what to expect from the agreement
Alexander Leonov, Executive Director of the Penta Center for Applied Policy Studies, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine, commented on the main expectations from the Zelensky–Trump meeting. According to him, the key issue remains the specification of the ceasefire terms and the mechanisms for their verification. The expert noted that the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly itself carries significant symbolic weight, since it takes place on an international podium and is recorded in the protocol of multilateral negotiations.
Reaction after the negotiations
Following his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump issued a statement in which, according to Ukrainian media, he noted that Ukrainians "can be proud of themselves" and called them a "very" dignified people. This remark was interpreted as a public demonstration of Washington's support for Kyiv immediately after the bilateral talks on the sidelines of the UN session.
Contradictory data
The public statements of the parties show a slight discrepancy in the wording of the negotiation agenda. In his pre-meeting comments, Volodymyr Zelensky pointed to two components — an energy and maritime ceasefire. At the same time, US Secretary of State Mark Rubio, when announcing the meeting, mentioned exclusively the terms of an energy ceasefire. This may indicate that the maritime component has not yet received final approval in Washington, or that it is being considered as a separate round of negotiations. The final text of the agreements following the meeting has not been published as of the time of publication.
