Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Anticipates Meeting with Donald Trump Next Week

KYIV (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed his hope to meet with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during his upcoming trip to the United States, where he plans to present Ukraine’s "victory plan" regarding the war with Russia.

Zelenskiy will be attending sessions of the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly, with scheduled meetings alongside U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on September 26.

In a statement to the media late on Friday, Zelenskiy indicated that a meeting with Trump could take place on September 26 or 27, although he did not provide additional details.

Trump is set to face off against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the U.S. elections on November 5. In August, Zelenskiy mentioned his intent to present his plan to Biden, Harris, and Trump. Although the two leaders spoke on the phone in July, they have not met in person since Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021.

Zelenskiy characterized his plan as a strategic framework aimed at compelling Russia to conclude the war through diplomatic means, emphasizing that it relies on timely decisions from major allies between October and December this year.

As the conflict reaches a crucial point, Zelenskiy aims to bolster Ukraine’s military capabilities, seeking increased military, economic, and diplomatic support from the United States, Kyiv’s primary ally. He is anticipated to advocate for the removal of restrictions on long-range missile strikes within Russia.

Amid these discussions, Russian forces continue their cautious but steady advancement in eastern Ukraine, in spite of Ukraine’s troops launching a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last month.

Zelenskiy has reiterated that there is no alternative to achieving a ‘just peace,’ dismissing the notion of freezing the conflict, which he believes would merely defer further Russian aggression.