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ConflictsUkraine

Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy meets Trump in New York

Published September 27, 2024last updated September 27, 2024

The former US president and Republican candidate has previously described US military aid to Ukraine as a waste of money. DW has more.

https://p.dw.com/p/4l8eH
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump
Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine if he becomes the next US presidentImage: Shannon Stapleton/REUTERS
Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

Former US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Friday.

Zelenskyy reportedly extended his stay in the US to accommodate the meeting.

"I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin can't win," Zelenskyy said. 

On arriving together with the Ukrainian leader at a Trump Tower conference room, Trump said: "The fact that we're even together today is a very good sign."

On Thursday, Zelenskyy met US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic presidential nominee.  

They both reiterated support for Ukraine, with Harris seemingly taking jabs at Trump's earlier comments that Kyiv should cut a deal and end the war.

This blog is now closed. Click here for more coverage of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Skip next section Zelenskyy says Trump meeting 'very productive'
September 27, 2024

Zelenskyy says Trump meeting 'very productive'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is "grateful" to have had "a very productive meeting" with US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

During their 40-minute meeting at Trump Tower in New York on Friday, the two agreed that Russia's war in Ukraine needed to end, Zelenskyy said.

"I had a very productive meeting with @realDonaldTrump. I presented him our Victory Plan, and we thoroughly reviewed the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for our people. Many details were discussed," Zelenskyy wrote in English on social media. "I am grateful for this meeting. A just peace is needed."

"We share the common view that the war in Ukraine must be stopped. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin cannot win. Ukrainians must prevail."

Following the meeting, Trump told Fox News that both he and Zelenskyy wanted to see a fair deal to end the war.

"The president wants it to end, and he wants it to end as quickly as possible. He wants a fair transaction to take place," Trump said.

https://p.dw.com/p/4lBUj
Skip next section Trump vows to end Ukraine war as he meets with Zelenskyy
September 27, 2024

Trump vows to end Ukraine war as he meets with Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy and Trump sitting across a big table from each other
Trump said he had a good relationship with both Zelenskyy and PutinImage: Alex Kent/Getty Images

Donald Trump said he would end the war in Ukraine if he gets elected president in November.

He made the comments to reporters as he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower in New York.

The last time the two met was five years ago.

"We have a very good relationship," Trump told reporters, "and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President [Vladimir] Putin, and I think if we win, we're going get it resolved very quickly," he said, referring to the November 5 vote.

Zelenskyy interjected to say that he hoped Trump's relationship with Ukraine was better than the one he has with Putin, at which point Trump said, "It takes two to tango."

Trump said he hoped to reach a solution to the conflict that worked for both sides. "At some point it has to end. He's going through hell, and his country is going through hell," he said, referring to Zelenskyy. 

On Thursday, the Ukrainian president met with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris — Trump's Democratic Party rival in the presidential elections. 

Harris had implied in that meeting, albeit without naming her election rival, that Trump ultimately wanted Ukraine's "surrender," rather than peace.

Zelenskyy said he had decided to meet with both candidates because decisions about how Ukraine can be supported into the future could not wait until November. He said Kyiv counted on the US remaining strong, and that he wanted to present his so-called "victory plan" for the war to Trump.

https://p.dw.com/p/4lBCK
Skip next section Trump and Zelenskyy meet at Trump Tower in New York
September 27, 2024

Trump and Zelenskyy meet at Trump Tower in New York

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has begun his meeting with US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in New York.

"The fact that we're even together today is a very good sign," Trump said, after arriving together with Zelenskyy at a conference room in Trump Tower.

"I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin can't win," Zelenskyy said.

The highly anticipated meeting comes after the publication of a Zelenskyy interview in the New Yorker this week in which the Ukrainian leader implied Trump did not fully understand the conflict in Ukraine or what his appeals for a negotiated settlement would truly mean for Kyiv.  

Trump, for his part, has in recent days repeatedly said the US needs to change course on Ukraine, for instance saying on Wednesday that "any deal — the worst deal — would have been better than what we have now." 

https://p.dw.com/p/4lAxS
Skip next section Germany confirms Biden visit and Ukraine allies meeting in October
September 27, 2024

Germany confirms Biden visit and Ukraine allies meeting in October

Germany said US President Joe Biden would visit the country on October 10-12 and host an international meeting to discuss military support for Ukraine.

Germany is "happy" to host Biden for what is being billed as a farewell visit ahead of the US presidential election in November, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told a news conference.

He also confirmed that as part of the visit, a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will be convened on October 12 at the US air base in Ramstein, near Frankfurt, which is expected to bring together more than 50 of Ukraine's allies.

The last meeting, also at Ramstein, was attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

https://p.dw.com/p/4l9zu
Skip next section NATO to establish northern land command in eastern Finland
September 27, 2024

NATO to establish northern land command in eastern Finland

NATO will set up a new land command in Finland near the Russian border next year, the Finnish defense minister said.

It is tasked with leading the military alliance's land force operations in northern Europe.

The center, which NATO calls the Multi Corps Land Component Command, will operate under the alliance's US-based Norfolk Joint Force Command and jointly with Finland's own land force command, which is already based in Mikkeli, about a two-hour drive from the Finnish-Russian border.

"This morning, I have decided that we will propose to NATO to establish the command in conjunction with the Army Headquarters in Mikkeli," said defense minister, Antti Hakkanen, following up on his June announcement that all NATO member states had given their political consent for the plan.

Hakkanen, speaking at a news conference, said the unit would initially have an annual budget of €8.5 million ($9.5 million) and consist of a few dozen international officers.

Finland joined the NATO alliance last year in response to neighboring Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.

Finland: Part of NATO family, says foreign minister

https://p.dw.com/p/4l9vt
Skip next section Russia claims control over village in eastern Ukraine
September 27, 2024

Russia claims control over village in eastern Ukraine

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had taken control of the village of Marynivka near Pokrovsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

Ukraine has not confirmed the Russian seizure of the village.

Russian forces have accelerated their advance towards the railway and logistics hub of Pokrovsk, capturing several towns and villages.

https://p.dw.com/p/4l9fG
Skip next section Lithuania to buy German Leopard 2 tanks
September 27, 2024

Lithuania to buy German Leopard 2 tanks

Lithuania intends to buy German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks for a new division of its army, Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas told Lithuanian television.

The contract could be signed in November, after the National Security Council makes a final decision on the purchase, Kasciunas said. He did not specify how many tanks, what specific model, or how much they would cost.

Lithuania is a member of both NATO and the European Union. The Baltic country borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia's ally Belarus, and sees Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a direct threat to its national security. 

The government in Vilnius has therefore increased military spending and is massively upgrading its army. An armored brigade of the German army is also to be permanently stationed in Lithuania.

German soldiers help beef up Lithuania's defense

https://p.dw.com/p/4l9SM
Skip next section At least one killed in Russian missile attack on Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih
September 27, 2024

At least one killed in Russian missile attack on Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih

A Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih hit a five-storey
building housing the regional police department, killing at least one person and injuring five others, officials said.

The police said a rescue operation was underway. Several people are feared buried under the rubble, officials said.

The body of a woman was found under the rubble, the regional governor Serhiy Lysak later said on the Telegram messaging app.

He added that 23 private houses, three apartment blocks and an educational facility had been damaged in the attack.

Krivyi Rih is an important industrial center and the birthplace of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

https://p.dw.com/p/4l91f
Skip next section Russian drone likely breached Romanian airspace during attack on Ukraine
September 27, 2024

Russian drone likely breached Romanian airspace during attack on Ukraine

Romania's national airspace was breahced by a Russian drone for less than three minutes during an overnight assault on neighboring Ukraine, according to the Romanian Defense Ministry.

NATO member Romania scrambled four fighter planes to monitor the attack from the air, the ministry said, adding that military personnel were looking for potential fragments.

Russian drones have violated Romanian airspace in the past.

The Ukrainian Danube port of Izmail, which lies on the Romanian border, was attacked overnight by Russian drones. Three people were killed, according to local officials. 

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force said on social media that it had shot down 24 out of 32 drones during Russia's overnight attack. Russian forces also used one ballistic missile and two cruise missiles during the attack, the air force added.

https://p.dw.com/p/4l8oX
Skip next section Slovenia says precision weapons for Ukraine should not be ruled out
September 27, 2024

Slovenia says precision weapons for Ukraine should not be ruled out

Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob cautioned against making hasty decisions in the face of German doubts about Ukraine's use of Western long-range weapons on Russian soil.

This was in response to a question about the potential use of long-range weapons that Western countries have supplied to Ukraine.

Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Golob emphasized the importance of considering all options.

He acknowledged that any country possessing such weapons  "will make the decision on their own, and we will try to respect that."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly ruled out supplying long-range precision weapons to Ukraine, regardless of the decisions of other NATO allies. 

Long-range weapons for Ukraine: Putin's red line?

https://p.dw.com/p/4l8g8
Skip next section Russian attack on southern Ukrainian town of Izmail kills 3
September 27, 2024

Russian attack on southern Ukrainian town of Izmail kills 3

A Russian drone attack on the southern Ukrainian town of Izmail killed three people, a man and two women, and injured 11, including a child, authorities in the Odesa region said.

The "large-scale terrorist attack" in the early hours of Friday also caused several fires in addition to damaging homes, Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app.

The fires have already been extinguished, Kiper added.

Izmail is one of the most important Ukrainian ports on the Danube.

https://p.dw.com/p/4l8hh
Skip next section Trump to meet Zelenskyy in New York
September 27, 2024

Trump to meet Zelenskyy in New York

The US Republican candidate for president  Donald Trump said he would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.

"I will be meeting with him tomorrow [Friday] morning at around 9:45 in Trump Tower," the former president told reporters in New York.

Zelenskyy has reportedly extended his stay in the US to attend the meeting.

On Thursday, Zelenskyy met US President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. They both reiterated support for Ukraine, with Harris seemingly taking jabs at Trump's earlier comments that Kyiv should cut a deal and end the war.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy set to meet with Trump during US visit

https://p.dw.com/p/4l8fF
Skip next section Biden vows to expedite Ukraine funding during his term
September 27, 2024

Biden vows to expedite Ukraine funding during his term

President Joe Biden meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, US
US President Joe Biden vowed to fast track funding to Ukraine during the remaining months in his termImage: UPI Photo/IMAGO

US President Joe Biden has vowed to fast track funding to Ukraine during the remaining months in his term.

Biden made the remarks as he announced a new military aid package of more than $8 billion (€7.2 billion) to Ukraine. 

"Russia will not prevail. Ukraine will prevail, and we'll continue to stand by you every step of the way," Biden said. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Biden that "we deeply appreciate that Ukraine and America have stood side by side."

Zelenskyy was due to meet Republican candidate for president Donald Trump on Friday. Trump has characterized US aid to Ukraine as a waste of money.

Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris met Zelenskyy on Thursday, saying US support for Ukraine was in "strategic interest" of the country.

She acknowledged that there were some in the US who would "force Ukraine to give up large parts of sovereign territory," saying that such proposals were not "proposals for peace" but rather "for surrender."

Her comments seemed to be in reference to Trump and his running mate JD Vance, who suggested Kyiv should quickly cut a deal to end the war. She described such suggestions as "dangerous and unacceptable."

Zelenskyy meets Biden, Harris at White House

dh/lo (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

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