Efforts underway for Zelenskyy-Trump meeting at UN next week

What the report says

Efforts are under way to arrange a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi. Ukrainian and US diplomatic teams are said to be working on a “meaningful” encounter, while Zelenskyy’s visit is expected to include a series of bilateral talks and meetings with US lawmakers, business leaders and members of the Ukrainian community.

The report places the planned discussion in the context of Trump’s push for an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine and renewed debate over attacks on energy infrastructure. Trump and Zelenskyy last met in July at the White House, following a tense Oval Office encounter in 2025 that ended abruptly after criticism from Trump administration officials over Zelenskyy’s handling of US support.

Al Jazeera also notes that the diplomatic effort comes as civilian casualties in Ukraine continue to rise. Citing the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the article says 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 wounded in the first six months of 2026, reflecting a sharp increase year on year. The report further mentions a Russian drone strike in Nikopol that killed at least five people, underscoring the continuing human toll of the conflict.