Trump’s announced meeting schedule does not yet include Zelenskyy

Two senior Ukrainian officials who requested anonymity told Suspilne that, as of Sept. 19, a bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy had not been confirmed.

The absence of a confirmed meeting does not mean one has been ruled out. Ukrainian officials have previously said the two sides are working to arrange talks during the second half of September.

Under a schedule outlined to reporters by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Trump is expected to arrive in New York on the afternoon of Sept. 21 and attend political events at Trump Tower that evening.

Trump is due to address the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22 before holding a series of meetings with foreign leaders. Waltz’s publicly announced list of bilateral meetings did not include Zelenskyy, Suspilne reported.

Trump is scheduled to leave New York and return to the White House on the evening of Sept. 22.

Ukraine and US have been working on Zelenskyy-Trump meeting

Zelenskyy said on Sept. 8 that he expected to meet Trump later in September and planned to raise Ukraine’s need for additional ballistic missile defense capabilities.

“We need ballistic defense packages from the Americans,” Zelenskyy told reporters.

He said U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had received detailed information from Kyiv about what Ukraine needed and when.

“I expect a meeting with President Trump in the 20s of the month, to raise this issue, and God willing, there will be a result,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Sept. 16 that Ukrainian and U.S. teams were continuing to work on the possibility of a meeting between the presidents.

At a Foreign Ministry briefing on Sept. 8, Tykhyi said there was a preliminary agreement between both sides to hold an in-person meeting later in the month, stressing that the arrangement was still preliminary.

He also said the UN General Assembly in New York was one possible venue.

Zelenskyy has said Ukraine intends to use September and October to revive diplomatic efforts aimed at ending Russia’s war, potentially including renewed trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia.

The 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened on Sept. 8. Its General Debate is scheduled for Sept. 22-28 under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”

Zelenskyy is expected to attend the high-level meetings in New York and has already announced plans for meetings with several European leaders on the sidelines of the assembly.

Trump signs new Russia sanctions law

The developments come after Trump signed the Lindsay O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on Sept. 18.

The legislation significantly expands U.S. sanctions authorities targeting Russia, including powers to impose tariffs of up to 100% on certain countries that continue major purchases of Russian energy.

It also expands restrictions targeting Russia’s military leadership, financial and energy sectors, foreign suppliers and vessels used by the Russian shadow fleet, while tightening controls on goods that could support Russian weapons production.