Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would raise his country's need for ballistic packages during a meeting he plans to hold with Donald Trump later in September. Zelenskyy also said U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had presented several good ideas during talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Speaking to reporters at a briefing on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said it was not yet clear whether the ideas would be implemented. "I will speak frankly: several of the ideas were really good and worthy of consideration," the Ukrainian leader said.
U.S. representatives held talks in Moscow and Kyiv
Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow a day before traveling to Kyiv. The two representatives met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday; it was the first visit by U.S. representatives to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy argued that the meeting had strengthened not only Ukraine's power on the battlefield but also its negotiating position. The Ukrainian leader said Washington had heard his country's needs in detail.
Ballistic packages and trilateral format on the agenda
Referring to the nighttime attacks on Ukraine, Zelenskyy said they needed ballistic packages from the United States. Zelenskyy said he hoped the planned meeting with Trump would produce results and added that they were moving toward a trilateral meeting format.
Zelenskyy said a meeting between European and U.S. advisers would be held in the near future. The Ukrainian leader said they would prepare for negotiations in a trilateral format after the meeting with Trump, naming Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland as possible hosts.
Energy and grain issues come to the fore
Zelenskyy said energy and grain could be discussed in possible trilateral talks. He also said prisoner exchanges needed to be expanded and accelerated.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to seek an agreement with Moscow on grain exports and energy, adding that both countries, not only Ukraine, needed to take steps on these issues.
