NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 22: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and US President Donald Trump shake hands as they hold a bilateral meeting in conjunction with the 81st session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly at UN Headquarters on September 22, 2026 in New York City. World leaders have gathered in New York for the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, and this year’s global issues range from the threat of artificial intelligence to the continuing wars in Ukraine and Gaza. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images News | Getty Images Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on US President Donald Trump to arrange a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying world leaders must act “as quickly as possible” to end the war. Zelenskyy spoke with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Tuesday. The high-stakes meeting provided Ukraine’s president with a rare opportunity to sit down and discuss ways to end Russia’s full-scale invasion, increased U.S. air defense support and security guarantees for kyiv. A winter package of Patriot missiles and licenses to produce the weapons domestically were two priorities for Ukraine in the coming months, Zelenskyy said. “President Trump, our teams and I talked about how to end the war. This is the priority. We are ready. I’m not sure Russia will be ready as of today, but anyway, we talked about an energy ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said overnight via social media, providing a summary of his comments to reporters at the United Nations General Assembly. Ukraine’s president confirmed that kyiv is willing to accept an energy truce on the condition that Russia does not attack its energy, electricity and heating infrastructure, as well as its water supplies. Trump has previously called on Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries with drone strikes, which he says are “harming the world,” as fuel supply disruptions due to the Ukraine and Iran wars drive US diesel prices to a record high. In a Monday post on Truth Social, the US president said Russia had “unfortunately lost control” of its diesel industry due to the war. “I think the most important step that President Trump can take is to organize a trilateral meeting where the leaders can raise all the sensitive issues and try to end the war,” Zelenskyy said. Asked if his comments mean he is prepared to meet directly with Putin and Trump to end the war, Zelenskyy responded: “I am ready. I said it, I am ready at any time when all parties are ready. I think we all need to act as quickly as possible.” CNBC has contacted a White House spokesperson and the Russian Embassy in London for comment and is awaiting a response. Zelenskyy: Xi has ‘influence over Putin’ In his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump told reporters that he had spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart about finding a solution to end Russia’s war. He also referenced a diplomatic push to end the conflict during his speech to delegates at the UN General Assembly. “We will get it done,” Trump said. Diplomatic talks have stalled as the United States has shifted focus to its war against Iran, although negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff traveled to Ukraine for the first time for talks with Zelenskyy earlier this month. Ukraine, which has stepped up its attacks on Russian oil facilities and logistics infrastructure in recent months, also called on Trump to discuss ways to end the war with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday. Ukrainian firefighters are working in a warehouse destroyed after a recent Russian drone attack in the kyiv region on September 22, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Tetiana Dzhafarova | AFP | Getty Images “I told the president, very openly, that we believe that if he also engages with President Xi, he will have influence over Putin. If we want to end this war, not just in messages, we all have to work 24/7 for this, for the people,” Zelenskyy said. Ukraine has insisted that Russian energy sites are legitimate military targets as it continues to resist Russian forces that invaded the country in early 2022. Russia’s Defense Ministry has said it is planning “massive attacks” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, amplifying fears of another winter attack.
