Trump’s UNGA Schedule Omits Bilateral Meeting With Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently not included among the world leaders scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported on Saturday, Sept. 19. Two senior Ukrainian government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Suspilne that as of Saturday, a bilateral encounter between Trump and Zelensky has not been finalized or confirmed on the official schedule.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The omission follows remarks by US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mike Waltz, who outlined the US president’s itinerary for his upcoming visit to New York. According to the schedule released by Waltz, Trump will arrive in New York on the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 21, and will attend political engagements at Trump Tower that evening. Trump’s New York itinerary and bilateral lineup On Tuesday, Sept. 22, the US president is scheduled to deliver an address before the UN General Assembly. Following his speech, Trump will participate in several formal bilateral meetings, including sessions with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Trump is also slated to meet collectively with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, hold talks with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, and host an official reception for heads of state participating in the assembly. Other Topics of Interest Trump Signs Sweeping Russia Sanctions Bill Into Law New sanctions hit Russia’s energy and defense sectors while giving Trump broad tariff powers over major oil and gas buyers. According to Waltz, Trump plans to depart New York and return to the White House on Tuesday evening. The Ukrainian president was notably absent from the roster of bilateral engagements detailed by the US envoy. Unconfirmed talks The lack of confirmation arrives after Zelensky expressed expectations that he would meet directly with Trump in late September to discuss critical air defense requirements and diplomatic developments. Zelensky stated that he was counting on a meeting in the 20s of September to request advanced American anti-ballistic missile defense systems to protect Ukrainian infrastructure ahead of the winter heating season. “We need packages of ballistics from the Americans,” Zelensky said on Sept. 8. “They heard in detail what we need and when we need it. I count on a meeting in the 20s with President Trump, raising this topic, and hopefully there will be a result.” The Ukrainian leader reiterated those expectations during an official visit to Canada on Sept. 11, indicating that direct talks with the US team in New York could offer greater insight into Washington’s mediation efforts regarding the war. Zelensky noted at the time that Ukrainian and US negotiating teams maintained regular contact and voiced optimism that discussions in New York could also advance dialogue on energy security and Black Sea maritime commerce. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.