Zelensky and Trump meet in New York as Russia presses attacks on Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky met Donald Trump in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, with both leaders saying they want the war in Ukraine to end. Trump called the meeting 'very fruitful' and said the two were figuring out a way to end the war. He repeated that a deal would happen 'more quickly than people understand' and claimed that around 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, are dying each month on both sides. Zelensky said Kyiv and Washington want the war to end before winter. He said they discussed de-escalation steps and a winter package of air defence, and that he had asked Trump for more Patriot missiles and licences to make such weapons in Ukraine. Trump also teased another possible meeting with Vladimir Putin.

The diplomacy came as Russia kept up strikes across Ukraine. In Zaporizhzhia, a massive overnight attack destroyed a historic building at the National University, a city centre shopping mall and several apartment buildings. In Kramatorsk, one man was killed and another was pulled from the ruins of his home with a severed leg and a tourniquet. In Dnipro, a strike on what Ukraine described as a civilian steel pipe plant killed four people. There were more attacks on Kyiv and strikes on railways, energy facilities and residential homes. Russia said it would intensify strikes on Kyiv after Moscow suffered what its mayor called its biggest ever drone attack on Sunday. Russian officials said at least two people were killed and about 20 wounded, with later reports putting the toll at three, and the Moscow oil refinery was hit.

The Moscow drone attack came on the final day of Russia's parliamentary election. Early results showed United Russia, the party backed by Putin, well ahead. Anti-war parties were banned from taking part. In Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov was re-elected with 99.85 per cent of the vote. The Kremlin shows no sign of ending the war. A Kremlin spokesman said at the end of August that Russia's position had not changed since 2024.

Ukraine has been hitting Russian oil refineries for weeks, and Zelensky has pushed for a mutual truce on energy targets. There were reports that the US president had pressured Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries. Analysts said oil refineries are valid military targets because oil, diesel and gasoline are important for military operations. Trump signed a sanctions bill that authorises, but does not require, heavy secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil and gas. Trump said he would use it if necessary. The bill is named after Senator Lindsey Graham. Poland's foreign minister said that activating the bill would be a blow to Putin and welcomed Trump's statement that Putin must end the war.

European leaders are worried about further Russian hybrid attacks and possible limited military action against NATO members. President Macron warned Russia against intimidation, and France agreed to talk with Latvia about the Baltic state joining a French nuclear deterrence initiative. Poland's foreign minister said Putin may be trying to provoke NATO to justify another mobilisation. He said there were no signs of Russia massing forces for an all-out invasion, but warned of reckless action below that threshold. Ukraine is also seeking help at the UN to end a months-long Russian blockade of Oleshky, where about 2,000 remaining inhabitants are running out of food, water and medicine.

Zelensky said he hopes the war can end quickly and that Trump will help. He thanked Trump repeatedly, a shift from their earlier Oval Office clash. But it remains uncertain whether the meeting will produce more interceptor missiles or a ceasefire on terms acceptable to Ukraine. Former US ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer said Zelensky wants Trump to use US leverage to push Moscow into serious negotiations. William B. Taylor, another former US ambassador to Ukraine, said the problem remains Russia, which has rejected ceasefire proposals. He said Russia is unlikely to attack a NATO member because its forces are tied down in Ukraine, but below-threshold attacks could continue. Trump said the US is ramping up production of military assets, and he pushed back on claims that US inventories are depleted. Congress has shown strong bipartisan support for Ukraine, including the sanctions bill.