Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he expects to meet his US counterpart Donald Trump by the end of September, as Washington intensifies efforts to revive negotiations to end Russia's full-scale invasion. The meeting would come as Kyiv presses for an urgently needed "winter package" of anti-ballistic missile interceptors, particularly Patriot systems.
Speaking to reporters via the presidential WhatsApp chat, Zelenskyy said he discussed Ukraine's shortage of advanced air defences with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during their visit to Kyiv over the weekend. "I am counting on a meeting...with President Trump, raising this issue and, God willing, there will be a result," he said.
The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv had explained in detail to Witkoff and Kushner what it needed from a US "winter package" and when the weapons would be required. "We talked with Witkoff and Kushner about the shortage that we have, which we feel regarding the winter package, a package of anti-ballistic missiles," he said. "Until we have this result, we need ballistic missile packages from the Americans. They heard in detail what we need and when we need it."
Towards a trilateral format
Zelenskyy also revealed that Ukraine was moving towards a new trilateral negotiating format with the United States and Russia, though he declined to provide specifics. "We are also moving, in my view, towards a trilateral format," he said. "Here I cannot disclose all the details. We agreed with the American side: let us prepare all of this between ourselves first and then communicate it to the public."
The United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, and Turkey are among the possible venues for such a meeting, according to Zelenskyy, who noted that several countries had offered to host talks. He said energy infrastructure and grain exports could be on the agenda, alongside humanitarian issues, particularly prisoner-of-war exchanges. "We need not only to discuss (these issues), but to have a concrete result," he stressed.
Zelenskyy was keen to emphasise that renewed US-led diplomacy would not sideline Kyiv's European allies. He pointed out that European diplomats maintain their own contacts with Russia, and that Washington is not the only channel of communication with Moscow. "Let's be honest: they are thinking about the security of all of Europe," he said of European governments. "That is why it is clear that they must be at the table in any format of negotiations."
He also highlighted Ukraine's prospective EU membership, post-war reconstruction, and future security guarantees as areas where European involvement would remain essential. European representatives already took part in the latest talks in Kyiv alongside the US delegation, he said, adding that Europe would be involved in all future negotiating formats.
Patriot licences and the winter shortage
Beyond diplomacy, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was continuing direct negotiations with Trump over licences for the production of Patriot missiles, as Ukraine seeks a longer-term answer to its dependence on US supplies. Talks are taking place both between the Ukrainian and US teams and at manufacturer level, and Trump has responded positively, although Kyiv is trying to accelerate the process.
For now, Ukraine's immediate concern is securing enough interceptors to protect the country through the coming winter. Zelenskyy said he had told partners that a winter air-defence package is now Kyiv's priority. Britain on Tuesday announced a €116mn contribution to that package, including support for Patriot missiles, other air-defence interceptors, artillery ammunition, and drones. The equipment is due to be delivered before winter through NATO's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List programme.
Zelenskyy spoke as Russia launched another attack on Kyiv, with a drone striking a television station while journalists were live on air. The building was partially destroyed and at least five people were reported injured, according to Zelenskyy. Emergency workers extinguished a fire at the site, while authorities warned that the number of casualties could rise. "'Shaheds' against the media mark a new chapter in Russia's degradation and Europe and the world must certainly respond to this," Zelenskyy said.
The latest developments come amid renewed fighting across Ukraine as US envoys push for peace talks. Meanwhile, the UK's pledge of £100m underscores the urgency of Kyiv's air-defence needs. As the diplomatic track advances, former officials see serious attempts but no breakthrough in Kyiv-Moscow talks.
