Zelensky expects progress on energy talks after meeting with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that he expects to meet with a United States delegation in late September, with energy and food security topping the agenda.

Zelensky said he does not expect serious negotiations with Russia during the pre-election period there, but he hopes for outcomes from talks with the American side, planned for late September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Energy and food security

According to Zelensky, Kyiv is in daily contact with the US delegation, with energy and food security identified as the key issues. He noted that partners worldwide are raising the topic of grain and agricultural exports, which Russia has begun blocking in the Black Sea. Ukraine has responded with similar measures, he said, arguing that otherwise Russia would never stop the war.

Concerns over intensified attacks

Zelensky warned that Russia may intensify its attacks on Ukraine during this period of negotiations. He said Russia typically escalates strikes whenever it learns that Ukraine is holding talks with European countries, Canada or the United States, in an attempt to derail any dialogue. Despite this, he said Ukraine would continue moving in this direction, calling it the only way to stop the war.

The Ukrainian president said he expects the first results of talks with the US by the end of September.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he had an "excellent" call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin earlier in the week, adding that the Russian leader wants to reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine.