Following his meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2026, Vladimir Zelensky stated that the American leader is still capable of radically changing the course of Russia's war against Ukraine. This was reported by a RBC-Ukraine correspondent, citing the Ukrainian president's direct remarks to journalists after the talks.
Trump as a 'Game Changer': Zelensky Confirms Washington's Role
When asked whether Donald Trump is still a 'game changer' — a person who radically changes the course of events — in the war, Zelensky answered affirmatively. 'He wants to end the war, he mostly talked about that. He said he would do everything to end the war,' RBC-Ukraine quotes the president as saying. Thus, Kyiv is publicly reinforcing the narrative that it is Washington that holds the key lever of influence over the escalation or de-escalation of the conflict — not only military support, but also diplomatic pressure on Moscow.
Trilateral Meeting as the Main Mechanism for a Settlement
Zelensky clarified that the most important step Trump can take is organizing a trilateral meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, the US, and Russia. According to the Ukrainian president, it is in such a format that 'all the sensitive issues can be discussed by the three leaders.' Zelensky emphasized his readiness to meet with Vladimir Putin 'at any time' and called for direct dialogue: 'If we're going to end the war, let's end it. Through dialogue — that means we need to sit down and talk. Whether you laugh, cry, or hate each other, we have to put an end to the war. Sit down at the table and talk.'
Energy Ceasefire and Kyiv's Red Lines
Within the same block of statements, Zelensky confirmed Ukraine's readiness for a so-called 'energy ceasefire': Kyiv will refrain from striking Russian energy facilities on the condition that Moscow does not attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure. At the same time, the president emphasized that during the talks with Trump there were no calls for Ukraine to unilaterally stop strikes on Russian territory. This essentially indicates that Kyiv is not ready to make asymmetric concessions in the military sphere without mirrored guarantees from Moscow.
Contradictory Data
Between Zelensky's optimistic rhetoric about 'doing everything to end the war' and Washington's actual position on military supplies, there is a notable gap. According to BBC, Trump had previously expressed uncertainty about whether the US would transfer to Ukraine licenses for the production of missiles for Patriot systems. As far back as July 2026, according to Inosmi, Zelensky had requested 300 Patriot missiles from his American counterpart, to which Trump replied that supplying them would be 'difficult' due to production limitations. The Times, describing the outcomes of the September meeting, emphasizes that the parties 'found common ground,' however, specific commitments on military supplies do not feature in the public statements. Thus, the diplomatic optimism following the talks in New York is not yet backed by confirmed decisions on expanding military aid, creating a contradiction between the public narrative of 'Trump will do everything for peace' and the actual absence of new support packages.
Outlook: War Until Winter?
Zelensky expressed hope for the end of the full-scale war against Russia before the onset of winter 2026, citing the potential role of the American leader in this process. However, for this scenario to be realized, Trump must actually initiate the trilateral format, and Moscow must agree to direct negotiations without preconditions that Kyiv considers unacceptable. At present, neither side has confirmed readiness for specific dates or formats of such negotiations, which leaves the statement about a 'war until winter' in the status of a political declaration rather than a confirmed plan of action.
