The meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, focused on pushing Russia to end the ongoing conflict.
During the discussion, President Zelenskyy called for additional U.S. sanctions on Moscow, as well as increased support for Ukraine’s defense capabilities. President Trump lauded Zelenskyy as a “brave man” and commended Ukraine’s resilience amid the conflict.
“He’s a brave man, and he’s putting up one hell of a fight. We have about 30 meetings scheduled today, but this is an important one, and we have great respect for the fight that Ukraine is putting up,” Trump said.
This meeting follows a previous encounter on August 18 at the White House, which was notably more cordial compared to their tense February 2025 Oval Office meeting. During that earlier session, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized President Zelenskyy, creating an uneasy atmosphere.
In his address to the UN General Assembly earlier in the day, President Trump criticized the United Nations for what he described as its ineffectiveness. Accusing the UN of issuing “empty words” while global crises persist, he said, “We shouldn’t have any wars if the UN is really doing its job. We solved all these wars, and we weren’t helped by the UN. We weren’t hurt by them, but we weren’t helped. They didn’t do anything!”
Trump also issued a stark warning to European nations, blaming their immigration policies and reliance on renewable energy for what he described as a looming collapse of Western Europe.
As the 80th session of the UN General Assembly continues, President Zelenskyy is scheduled to address the assembly and participate in the inaugural summit of the Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. This initiative highlights the plight of approximately 35,000 Ukrainian children believed to be in Russia or occupied territories.
Notably, today’s meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy underscores ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the conflict in Ukraine.
https://www.news18.com/world/putting-up-one-hell-of-a-fight-trump-praises-brave-zelenskyy-during-un-meet-9592499.html
