US President Donald Trump has again expressed optimism that Russia and Ukraine can reach an agreement to end the war, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hopes the conflict can be brought to an end before winter.

The two leaders met in New York on September 22 on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, as Washington continues efforts to revive negotiations over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy Calls for Peace Before Winter

At the beginning of his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy said Ukraine wanted the diplomatic process to move quickly.

“I hope we will end this war, and President Trump will help us to end this war [Russia’s war against Ukraine – ed.]. And I think that we need to do this as quickly as possible, before winter – better before winter, that’s very important,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president has repeatedly highlighted the approaching winter as an important consideration because of the threat to Ukraine’s electricity, heating and other critical infrastructure from Russian attacks.

Zelenskyy’s latest comments came as both countries continued exchanging missile and drone attacks, while diplomatic efforts remained unresolved.

Trump Says Putin Is Willing to Meet

Trump said he remained hopeful about the possibility of negotiations and indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was prepared to meet with Zelenskyy.

“He’ll meet. He’s willing to meet. He wants to see the war end,” Trump said during the meeting, according to reports cited by Newsmax.

Trump has previously spoken about his desire to bring the war to an end and has held discussions with both Russian and Ukrainian officials as part of efforts to restart negotiations.

However, no comprehensive peace agreement has been announced.

Trump Does Not Give a Specific Timeline

Although Trump expressed confidence that an agreement could eventually be reached, he did not provide a specific date for the end of the war.

RFE/RL reported that Trump said peace could arrive “sooner than people think,” while Zelenskyy was more explicit about his hope that the conflict could end before winter.

The difference between the two statements is significant: neither leader announced that a final agreement had been reached or that a binding timetable for ending the war had been established.

Earlier this month, Trump’s special envoy Jared Kushner also cautioned that there was no guarantee the war would end by winter, although he said the United States was working toward creating conditions that could make such an outcome possible.

Peace Talks Have Faced Major Obstacles

The latest diplomatic push follows several rounds of negotiations and diplomatic contacts that have failed to produce a lasting settlement.

Russia and Ukraine held direct negotiations during the early months of the full-scale invasion in 2022, including meetings in Belarus and Istanbul. The talks eventually collapsed without a peace agreement, with major disagreements remaining over territorial control, security guarantees and military issues.

More recent US-backed efforts have also encountered difficulties.

Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow and Kyiv in September as Washington sought to bring the sides closer together. Witkoff and Kushner met Putin in Moscow on September 5, but the meeting did not result in a publicly announced breakthrough.

Energy Infrastructure Is Central to the Latest Discussions

One of the immediate areas under discussion is a possible energy ceasefire.

Ukraine has said it would be prepared to halt attacks on Russian energy facilities if Russia reciprocated by stopping attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

The proposal comes after continued Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure and Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil and energy facilities.

Reuters reported that Zelenskyy was travelling to New York with the goal of discussing an energy truce with Trump, amid concerns that continued attacks could intensify pressure on energy supplies as winter approaches.

The earlier attempt at an energy truce did not result in a lasting cessation of attacks, with both sides subsequently accusing the other of violating restrictions.

Zelenskyy Says Trump Can Still Influence the War

Following his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy said he continued to believe the US president could play an important role in efforts to end the conflict.

Asked whether he still considered Trump a potential “game changer” in the war, Zelenskyy said:

“He wants to stop the war. And he mostly spoke about it. He said he would do everything to end the war.”

Zelenskyy also said one important step would be arranging a trilateral meeting involving Trump, Putin and himself.

He separately said he remained prepared to meet Putin, arguing that direct dialogue would be necessary if the objective was to end the war.

Russia Continues Military Operations

Despite the diplomatic activity, fighting has continued.

Russia and Ukraine have intensified missile and drone strikes in recent weeks, with Russian attacks targeting Ukrainian cities and infrastructure while Ukrainian forces have increasingly conducted long-range strikes against Russian military and energy facilities.

Reuters reported that Russia had not indicated that it was prepared to halt its air campaign, while Ukraine continued to seek additional air-defense capabilities to protect its population and infrastructure.

The continuing military activity means that the diplomatic statements from Trump and Zelenskyy represent ongoing negotiations and hopes for an agreement rather than confirmation that a peace settlement is imminent.

What Happens Next

The Trump-Zelenskyy meeting comes at a time when Washington is again attempting to restart negotiations while Ukraine faces the prospect of another winter under wartime conditions.

Zelenskyy is seeking movement toward a settlement before winter, while Trump has maintained that Putin is willing to negotiate and that Russia and Ukraine can ultimately reach an agreement.

The next stage will depend on whether the United States can bring Moscow and Kyiv into substantive negotiations and whether the two sides can bridge their unresolved disagreements over territory, security arrangements and the conditions for ending hostilities.

For now, the leaders’ statements indicate continued diplomatic engagement, but no final peace agreement or definitive timetable for ending the war has been announced.