Zelenskyy says Kyiv and Washington want war in Ukraine to end before winter

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kyiv and Washington want the war in Ukraine to end before winter, following a meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. Zelenskyy described the talks as positive and said they covered possible steps that could open the way to diplomacy.

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In a post on social media, Zelenskyy said both the United States and Ukraine wanted to see what he called Russia's war ended before winter. He also said the discussion included a winter air defence package for Ukraine and other bilateral and multilateral issues. Trump, speaking alongside Zelenskyy in New York, also addressed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities and said they had been a serious hit on Russia.

The meeting comes as Russia continues to strike Ukrainian cities and regions, with energy infrastructure often targeted during winter periods. Ukraine has responded with its own deep strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure, aiming to disrupt a key part of the Russian economy and the wider war effort. Zelenskyy said earlier on Tuesday that one oil refinery had been hit in Bashkortostan and another in the Samara region over the previous 24 hours.

The remarks underline how energy security has become central to the war as colder months approach. For Ukraine, air defences are critical to protecting power systems and civilian infrastructure from renewed attacks. For Russia, damage to refineries and fuel facilities adds pressure on an economy already shaped by the conflict and by sanctions.

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Trump said Russia had lost control of its diesel oil industry because of the war and called the conflict ridiculous and never ending. He also said a large number of refineries had been blown up and were at least temporarily out of commission. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said Ukraine was willing to stop strikes on Russia's energy sector if Moscow agreed to do the same.

What remains unclear is whether the talks will lead to any concrete diplomatic steps or changes on the battlefield. It is also not clear what form the proposed winter air defence package would take or whether either side is prepared to alter its current military strategy. The next developments to watch are any follow-up statements from Kyiv, Washington or Moscow, and whether the energy war intensifies as winter nears.

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