Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says an upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump in New York could advance efforts toward ending the war, even as the Kremlin says negotiations have yet to produce a breakthrough.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump are preparing to meet in New York during this week’s United Nations General Assembly as Washington renews efforts to bring Ukraine and Russia back into direct negotiations over ending the more than four-year war.

The meeting comes amid conflicting assessments of the diplomatic process.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that “no progress” had been achieved toward a settlement, while adding that Moscow hopes “that we will eventually resume trilateral negotiations” involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Moscow did not provide a date or venue for another round of talks.

Zelenskyy, however, struck a more optimistic tone after speaking with Trump on Sunday.

The Ukrainian president said the two leaders had agreed to meet in New York and described their phone call as “an important conversation,” saying they “got through a lot.”

“We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum,” Zelenskyy said.

Both leaders are in New York for the U.N. General Assembly. Zelenskyy did not initially announce a precise time for their meeting. Reuters confirmed Sunday that the two had agreed to meet during the gathering.

Zelenskyy said the discussions are expected to address potential measures to reduce hostilities and broader security questions.

“There are ideas for de-escalation steps and for addressing fundamental security issues— energy security, food security, and the protection of human life.”

Ukraine, he added, is “ready to take really serious steps” as negotiations continue.

The planned meeting follows a new round of U.S. diplomacy this month involving presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who traveled first to Moscow and then to Kyiv.

Witkoff and Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sept. 5 before traveling to Kyiv on Sept. 6 for talks with Zelenskyy. White House photographs and statements confirmed both visits as part of the administration’s effort to restart negotiations.

Zelenskyy thanked Trump for sending the two envoys, saying their involvement contributed to the current diplomatic opening.

Witkoff said following the meetings that discussions had moved the sides closer to another round involving all three governments.

“Substantive progress was made, including movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks,” Witkoff said in a Sept. 7 statement.

The U.S. delegation met separately with Putin and Zelenskyy and carried proposals between Moscow and Kyiv. National security officials from France, Germany and Britain also participated in the Kyiv discussions.

Kushner has supported a trilateral format in which representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United States would participate in the same negotiating process, reducing the need for Washington to repeatedly relay positions between the two governments.

Despite those discussions, Moscow’s statement Monday underscored that the diplomatic effort has not yet produced a negotiated settlement or comprehensive ceasefire.

Previous U.S.-mediated trilateral talks earlier in 2026 produced prisoner exchanges and discussions over possible terms for ending hostilities but left major disagreements unresolved, including territorial control and security guarantees for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s planned meeting with Trump also follows a major shift in U.S. economic pressure on Moscow.

Trump on Sept. 18 signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, legislation targeting Russia’s energy and defense sectors as well as the network of tankers used to move Russian oil around existing sanctions. The law also expands sanctions related to Iran and gives the president additional tariff authorities targeting countries engaged in significant trade with Russia.

Zelenskyy thanked Trump for signing the measure.

The legislation was renamed in honor of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who died July 11 at age 71 and had been one of the strongest congressional advocates for increased pressure on Russia and continued support for Ukraine. Graham had repeatedly visited Ukraine during the war and helped advance legislation intended to reduce Moscow’s ability to finance military operations through energy exports.

Trump signed the measure after it cleared the House and Senate, turning Graham’s sanctions proposal into law roughly two months after the senator’s death.

Zelenskyy had traveled to Washington in late July for Graham’s memorial service at Washington National Cathedral, where Trump, Vice President JD Vance, members of Congress and Graham’s family also attended.

The New York meeting will bring Trump and Zelenskyy together again as fighting continues despite the renewed diplomatic activity.

The two sides have intensified long-range attacks in recent weeks, including Ukrainian strikes against Russian energy infrastructure and continued Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine. The escalation has complicated efforts to establish even limited agreements covering energy facilities and other infrastructure.

Against that military backdrop, Washington is again attempting to bring Moscow and Kyiv into the same negotiating framework.

Witkoff’s September trip produced what the administration described as movement toward additional trilateral discussions, while the Kremlin continues to say no substantive breakthrough has occurred.

Zelenskyy is presenting his meeting with Trump as an opportunity to move that process forward, saying the current discussions include possible de-escalation measures along with energy security, food security and protection of civilians.

Whether that momentum produces another round of three-way negotiations will depend on whether Moscow, Kyiv and Washington can bridge the issues that have prevented previous talks from producing a broader settlement.

Original article