Behind the scenes of world politics, an important meeting is in the making — the Presidents of Ukraine and the US, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump, are preparing to discuss pressing issues at their forthcoming meeting. According to the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heorhiy Tykhyi, the teams of both leaders are actively working to organise this significant event, striving to ensure it is substantive.
Whilst the details of the meeting remain under wraps, it is known that it is scheduled for the third week of September. The main item on the agenda will be Ukraine’s missile defence — a topic that Zelenskyy considers extremely important for ensuring his country’s security. The President of Ukraine emphasised that US assistance in this area is critically important, and he is hoping for a constructive dialogue on this issue.
This is not the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries: their previous meeting took place at the White House on 28 July. Since then, there have been numerous developments on the diplomatic front. In early September, a US delegation visited Kyiv, where bilateral and multilateral talks were held, involving representatives from the UK, Germany and France. The participants discussed security guarantees, economic support for Ukraine and preparations for the coming winter season.
Interestingly, as part of Trump’s diplomatic efforts, his representatives also visited Moscow. However, according to the US Institute for the Study of War, Russia expressed a reluctance to make significant compromises regarding a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Ukraine.
Jared Kushner, the US President’s son-in-law and trusted adviser, emphasised the complexity of the situation but assured that the US would make every effort to achieve peace, although no guarantees could be given at this stage.
The forthcoming meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump therefore promises to be eventful and could mark an important step in strengthening Ukrainian-American relations. The talks are expected to shed light on the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of security and economic cooperation.