Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began his visit to New York with a meeting with US senators, at which he called for increased sanctions pressure on Russia and for strengthening Ukraine's defenses against ballistic missiles. The talks precede Zelensky's planned meeting with US President Donald Trump today.
According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian and American sides have agreed that their teams will work more closely on sanctions-related issues. He also briefed the senators on de-escalation proposals that he intends to discuss with Trump.
The Ukrainian president thanked US lawmakers for their bipartisan support for Kiev and for their support for the sanctions legislation related to the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
„This is a very right step. When fully implemented, peace and guaranteed security will certainly be closer,“ Zelensky said.
Another main issue in the talks was Ukraine's air and missile defense before the onset of winter. Kiev is pushing for more means to intercept ballistic missiles, with Zelensky emphasizing that at this stage the American Patriot systems have no full-fledged alternative.
“The more anti-ballistic defense Ukraine has, the less courage Russia will have to continue strikes and drag out the war,“ the Ukrainian president said.
The topic is expected to be among the main ones during the meeting between Zelensky and Trump in New York. Reuters reports that the Ukrainian president will also insist on additional missiles for the Patriot systems from his American counterpart amid increased Russian drone and missile attacks.
Another key issue in the talks between the two presidents is expected to be the possibility of de-escalating attacks on energy infrastructure. According to Reuters, Zelensky will try to reach an agreement on a kind of energy truce with Russia. Kiev fears new large-scale Russian attacks on electricity and heating infrastructure in the winter.
Zelensky has already said that Ukrainian energy, critical infrastructure and food exports must cease to be targets of Russian attacks, and Kiev is ready for appropriate steps to de-escalate. Moscow has not yet given a public signal that it is ready to stop the air strikes, Reuters notes.
Zelensky's visit is part of the diplomatic activity surrounding the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The Ukrainian president has announced about 20 meetings in New York - with Trump, European leaders, representatives of both houses of Congress, international organizations, American companies and think tanks.
Earlier, Zelensky said after a phone call with Trump that their meeting in New York "could change a lot" and that he believed there was a new diplomatic dynamic surrounding efforts to end the war.