New York, 23 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ukraine war diplomacy is taking a prominent place at the UN General Assembly as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presses for an energy ceasefire with Russia and senior US and Russian officials prepare for talks in New York. The diplomatic activity comes as fighting continues, including a fresh Russian drone attack on Kyiv early Wednesday.
Ukraine War Diplomacy Centres on Energy Ceasefire
Zelenskyy met US President Donald Trump for about 40 minutes at UN headquarters on Tuesday. Afterwards, the Ukrainian leader said the discussions covered efforts to end Russia’s war and a possible bilateral halt to attacks on energy-related targets.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready for “any format” of an energy ceasefire with Russia, provided Moscow also stopped attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. He stressed that the meeting had not involved Ukraine agreeing unilaterally to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries.
The proposal comes as both countries continue attacks affecting energy infrastructure. Ukraine said on Tuesday that it struck Russian oil refineries in Ufa and the Samara region, while Russian strikes have continued against targets inside Ukraine.
Russian Drone Attack Hits Kyiv
Hours after the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting, Russian jet-powered drones struck two petrol stations and other sites in Kyiv early Wednesday, according to Reuters.
City authorities said one person was killed and seven were injured. Ukrainian oil company Ukrnafta said one of its petrol stations was hit, while Ukrainian railway chief Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said railway infrastructure was also attacked and one employee was injured.
The attack highlighted the gap between diplomatic discussions in New York and continuing hostilities on the ground.
Rubio and Lavrov Set for New York Talks
Diplomatic attention is now turning to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The US State Department said Rubio would meet Lavrov in New York on Wednesday morning on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.
The meeting gives Washington and Moscow another direct diplomatic channel while the Trump administration explores ways to bring the parties back into negotiations.
Zelenskyy also reiterated that he was prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in a trilateral meeting involving Trump. He said he hoped Washington could find a way to bring Moscow back to negotiations after earlier talks broke down.
What Happens Next?
Attention at the UN will now focus on whether the Rubio-Lavrov talks produce any movement towards renewed negotiations and whether Russia responds to Kyiv’s proposed reciprocal energy ceasefire.
No comprehensive ceasefire has been announced. With strikes continuing, the immediate test for diplomacy will be whether discussions at UNGA translate into a verifiable reduction in attacks or another formal negotiating process.
