On September 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped to meet US President Donald Trump next week, on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session. The topics Mr Zelensky plans to address include a commitment to ensure Ukraine's security and increased sanctions against Russia to reduce further attacks.
Speaking via video, Mr. Zelensky said: "I will have a meeting with the US President and we will talk about Ukraine's security guarantees and Russia sanctions."
He stressed that international dialogue is very necessary as Russia continues to conduct airstrikes from bases and drones targeting many residential areas.
The meeting will take place on the sidelines of UNGA, where Mr. Trump is scheduled to speak on September 23. Trump has now made many cuts to foreign aid and reduced the budget for the United Nations, while the US-Ukraine relationship with the EU has received increasing attention in the context of a prolonged war.
Mr Zelensky has identified a security commitment - including the participation of the US and its allies - as a vital factor to protect the country from further attacks. He wants clear-cutting measures, which could be military protection deals, arms assistance or infrastructure.
On the sanctions side, Mr Zelensky expects the US to consider issuing new sanctions, especially targeting energy, banks related to Russia, or international transactions that are said to help Russia continue its military campaign.
However, there are still difficulties: Mr Trump has limited some foreign aid since the beginning of his term, and some European countries have questioned the effectiveness of the new sanctions. Ensuring security can come with high costs in terms of military, logistics and diplomacy.
Mr Zelensky's urgent task now is to ensure that any agreement is factual, has clear constraints, and does not leave Ukraine left in its empty commitments. If the meeting goes as expected, it could be a turning point in efforts to strengthen Ukraine's diplomatic position.
