Zelenskyy urged Trump to press Xi over Russia’s war in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he urged Donald Trump to ask China’s Xi Jinping to use Beijing’s influence with Moscow in efforts to end Russia’s invasion. Zelenskyy disclosed the request to reporters on Friday, September 25, after Trump and Xi met at the White House the previous day.

At the time of his comments, the Ukrainian president said he had not received feedback from Washington about whether the request had been raised or what the Chinese leader had said. That distinction leaves the result of the proposed approach unknown. A US fact sheet on the Trump–Xi visit said the leaders discussed Russia among several global concerns but did not describe a Chinese commitment on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy had met Trump at the United Nations in New York on September 22. The Ukrainian presidency said that conversation covered potential steps to reduce the fighting before winter, air defense and efforts to create a path back to diplomacy. Kyiv has been seeking greater pressure on Moscow and stronger protection for its cities as Russia continues missile and drone attacks.

Technical talks remain unscheduled

In his subsequent briefing, Zelenskyy said Washington was pushing for technical-level talks among US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations, without the three countries’ leaders. He said Ukraine was awaiting a proposed date and that American officials had suggested the United Arab Emirates as a possible venue. The remarks described a proposal, not a confirmed meeting.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that a possible three-way meeting had been discussed in a Trump–Putin call earlier in September, but he offered no date or further specifics. Three rounds of US–Ukraine–Russia talks earlier in 2026, including two in Abu Dhabi and one in Geneva, did not produce a major breakthrough. Russia and Ukraine continue to disagree on central questions including territory and security guarantees.

Zelenskyy also pointed to a US sanctions law signed by Trump after bipartisan passage in Congress. He urged the president to use the measures to increase pressure on Russia. Signing the law and implementing individual sanctions are separate actions, and the Ukrainian leader’s request concerned the next step.

The Black Sea was another part of Kyiv’s diplomatic outreach in New York. Zelenskyy said he discussed safe food exports with leaders including those of India, Turkey and Egypt, whose countries have an interest in uninterrupted shipping. Ukraine wants a ceasefire in the maritime area to permit fuller agricultural deliveries. The discussions did not amount to Russian acceptance of such an arrangement.

On air defense, Zelenskyy said Trump had confirmed a final decision to grant Ukraine licenses related to Patriot systems. The Ukrainian presidency earlier said the two countries’ teams were working on interceptor production in Ukraine and a winter air defense package. No completed production timetable was announced in those statements.