Zelenskyy Urges Trump To Convene Trilateral Talks With Putin, Proposes Conditional 'Energy Ceasefire'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged former U.S. President Donald Trump to arrange a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to accelerate efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The request came during a conversation on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

Zelenskyy outlined Ukraine's near-term priorities, including a winter delivery package of Patriot air-defense missiles and licenses to permit domestic production of those systems. He said Kyiv is prepared to accept an "energy ceasefire" provided Russia stops targeting Ukraine's energy, electricity, heating and water infrastructure.

"This is the priority," Zelenskyy wrote on X after the meeting. "President Trump, our teams, and I spoke about how to end the war. We are ready. I'm not sure Russia is ready as of today, but anyhow, we spoke about an energy ceasefire. We are ready for an energy ceasefire if they do not attack our energy system, our…" — Tweet posted September 22, 2026.

In addition to seeking direct talks with Moscow, Zelenskyy urged Trump to engage Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying Xi has influence with Putin and could help facilitate a settlement. When asked whether he would meet both Putin and Trump, Zelenskyy told reporters he was ready "anytime when all the sides will be ready," and urged diplomacy to move quickly, according to CNBC.

Trump expressed confidence a deal could be reached, saying, "We will get that one done." The Kremlin responded skeptically: spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti that a Putin–Zelenskyy summit would be premature and a "waste of time" until expert-level negotiations take place.

The exchange follows earlier comments from Trump urging Kyiv to avoid strikes on Russian oil refineries, arguing such attacks contributed to global diesel shortages and higher prices. Russia had already announced a suspension of diesel exports through the end of September amid spiking fuel costs.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian long-range strikes recently had a "significant" effect in the Moscow region, hitting a large oil facility and a logistics site he described as assets worth billions that help fund Russia's war effort.

President Vladimir Putin acknowledged there remains a possibility of reaching a peace agreement, saying the United States and China have expressed willingness to support a settlement. He also noted that contacts between Russia and Ukraine are continuing mainly through intelligence channels, while questioning how effective those channels have been.

Outlook

The UNGA meeting and subsequent public statements from Kyiv, Washington and Moscow underline a renewed diplomatic push for talks — but also highlight deep mistrust and sharply divergent views on timing and preconditions. Any progress toward a trilateral summit would likely require preparatory expert-level negotiations and third-party involvement to bridge gaps on security guarantees and ceasefire conditions.