US President Donald Trump could meet with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky next week in New York, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to Israel.
“Trump is trying to do everything possible to end the war,” Rubio said.
“The president has repeatedly called Russian President Vladimir Putin and has met with Zelensky multiple times - including, likely, again next week in New York,” the top U.S. official added.
Ukraine has not yet confirmed the possibility of such a meeting.
Meanwhile, Zelensky urged Trump to take a “clear, unequivocal position” on sanctions against Russia and on security guarantees for Ukraine.
In an interview with Sky News, the Ukrainian leader said the White House chief should personally take “decisive measures” and “make Putin fear him.”
“Before we end the war, I really want all the agreements to be finalized. I want a document backed by the United States and all European partners. That is very important,” the Ukrainian president said. “For that to happen, we need a clear position from President Trump,” he added.
Zelensky said the United States is strong enough “to make its own decisions.” “I believe Donald Trump can provide us with air defense systems in sufficient numbers, because the U.S. has enough of them,” he told Sky News.
Europe has already imposed 18 rounds of sanctions on Russia, he noted. What’s missing, he argued, is a robust package of restrictive measures from the United States.
Zelensky also criticized the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska on August 15.
He said Trump “conceded a lot to Putin” and “should have paid more for that meeting.” He added that a trilateral meeting could have produced results.
On September 14, Trump said he is ready to toughen U.S. sanctions on Russia if Europe also tightens its restrictions in step with Washington.
Earlier, the U.S. president posted a letter on Truth Social saying he is “ready to impose serious sanctions against Russia when all NATO countries agree to them and start doing the same, and when all NATO countries stop buying oil from Russia.”
Trump called purchases of Russian oil by some NATO members “shocking,” saying it weakens NATO’s negotiating position and the alliance’s leverage over Moscow.
In early September, during a videoconference with European leaders, Trump accused them of “financing the war” in Ukraine through Russian oil purchases, urging them to cut Moscow off from that revenue and to put pressure on China over the issue.
