Trump and Zelenskyy hold their tenth meeting without a deal to end the war

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on September 22 in New York during the UN General Assembly. It was their tenth meeting since Trump returned to the White House, or their twelfth if two conversations in late 2024 are included.

Trump received Zelenskyy warmly, calling Ukraine’s leadership skillful and Ukrainians fighters who could be proud of themselves. He again said an agreement was needed and expressed hope for a trilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy, however, does not believe the Russian president is ready for such a format. Kremlin officials have said Putin would meet Zelenskyy only to formalize agreements already reached, after experts had first approved them.

Moscow’s demands remain ultimative

One of Russia’s main demands is the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from parts of Donbas that Moscow has not occupied. The text says efforts by US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to find a solution for Donbas have produced no result over the past 18 months.

Ruslan Mykula, co-founder of the DeepState monitoring project, said that at Russia’s 2025 advance rate it would need about two more years to fully occupy Donetsk region. The Institute for the Study of War put Russia’s August advance in Donetsk region at 2.36 square kilometers per day and projected that the rest of Donbas could be occupied in autumn 2032.

Strikes on Russia’s energy sector remain disputed

Before the meeting, US officials including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Ukraine of having a damaging effect on global diesel prices. During the meeting, Trump said Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries were primarily a challenge for Russia.

Zelenskyy later told reporters that Trump had not demanded a unilateral halt to Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s energy sector. The text says US support for Ukraine is otherwise limited to air-defense sales, weapons, intelligence and possible licensing for production of US arms.

A winter peace deal lacks conditions

The war continues, although Trump promised during the 2024 presidential campaign to end it within 24 hours. The author describes the winter, expected to begin in two months, as a test amid intensifying attacks.

An August KIIS poll found that at least 59% of respondents were unwilling to give up Donbas in exchange for security guarantees from the US and Europe. Zelenskyy’s hope, expressed at the meeting, that the war could end by winter currently has no conditions for implementation, the author says.