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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that he plans to meet with President Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in Manhattan next week.
Zelensky is seeking to huddle over promised post-war security guarantees that Ukrainian leader views as critical to any peace deal in the Russian conflict, according to Ukrainian outlet Ukrinform.
Despite a renewed diplomatic push, Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin has repeatedly rebuffed direct peace talks with Zelensky unless his preconditions are met.
“We expect sanctions if there is no meeting between the leaders or, for example, no ceasefire,” Zelensky said in comments released by his office on Saturday, according to the AFP.
“We are ready for a meeting with Putin. I have spoken about this. Both bilateral and trilateral. He is not ready.”
Ahead of the upcoming sit-down with Trump, Zelensky’s right-hand man Andriy Yermak held a phone call Saturday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“We discussed preparations for security guarantees for Ukraine, as well as expanding cooperation in military, defense, and economic areas,” Yermak wrote on X.
Zelensky also told reporters in Kyiv on Friday that there would be “very likely, a meeting between the first ladies of Ukraine and the United States on the humanitarian issue relating to children,” according to Interfax Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — launched in early 2022 — is nearing four years of sustained fighting.
