President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in New York to meet US president Donald Trump ahead of the UN General Assembly summit, which commences today.
His arrival follows Russian missile attacks in Odesa overnight, while 33 Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow were downed on Monday and Tuesday.
The Ukrainian leader was joined by first lady Olena Zelenska and is expected to address the gathering of nations on Wednesday as part of a week of “intense” meetings to appeal for a ceasefire and call for sanctions against Russia.
In a statement on X (Twitter), President Zelensky wrote: “Together with the First Lady of Ukraine and our team, we have arrived in New York to take part in the UN General Assembly, the first leaders’ summit of our Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, and the annual Crimea Platform Summit, which in 2025, for the first time, will be held on a global stage – underlining the global nature of the changes brought about by this war, the war that Russia began in Crimea.”
He explained that “nearly two dozen meetings are scheduled” as he hopes to bolster support for Ukraine.
“Ahead of us are several very intense days. Ukraine must become stronger. I thank everyone who is helping,” he said.
Russia’s recent encroachment into European airspace has prompted concern from surrounding nations, with Poland calling for a Nato-enforced no-fly zone.
President Trump has kept up regular contact with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, while his support for Ukraine has been far more muted than that of his predecessor.
The US leader said recently: “It takes two to tango. Those are two people, Zelensky and Putin, that hate each other, and it looks like I have to sit in the room with them, because they can’t sit in a room together. There’s great hatred there.”
At present, there are no plans for Putin or Mr Zelensky to meet.
Russia has offered the US an extension to a nuclear deal that President Trump has said is “pretty good”.
Ukraine’s first deputy foreign minister, Sergiy Kyslytsya, said: “New York is the platform every September. It’s a super important place to be.
“I wish it were more expedient, but you will never have easy solutions to the conflicts of this magnitude. So I think that we will not come back from New York, all of us, with easy solutions. And we will continue to work hard after New York.”
Russia has unleashed a wave of attacks against Ukraine’s railway systems over the summer, with the CEO of the country’s state railway company saying the transport infrastructure had been “systematically” targeted.
