Trump and Zelensky Discuss Bilateral Issues at UN General Assembly

On Tuesday, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in a bilateral meeting and subsequent press conference during the UN General Assembly.

According to reports from the White House press pool, Zelensky and Trump spoke privately for about an hour after responding to reporters prior to the meeting.

During the press conference, a reporter posed a question to Trump about whether NATO nations should target Russian aircraft if they enter space. Trump responded affirmatively, saying, “Yes, that’s right.”

Following that, another journalist inquired if the US would back NATO allies in such a scenario. Trump indicated that it would depend on the situation, but emphasized a strong commitment to NATO. “NATO has stepped up,” he noted, pointing out that member states have increased their defense contributions from 2% to 5% of GDP.

When asked about the state of the Russian economy, Trump stated, “The Russian economy is terrible right now,” and discussed his efforts to escalate pressure. He mentioned a recent imposition of a 25% tariff on India, in addition to existing tariffs due to Russian oil purchases.

He continued, “The biggest advancement is, as you know, the Russian economy is terrible right now. It’s crashing, and frankly, Ukraine is doing a very good job of stopping this very large army. That’s pretty amazing.” Trump expressed disbelief at claims suggesting a quick victory for Russia, asserting that the conflict continues and is unfavorable for Russia.

At the time of their meeting, Trump posted on social media about Ukraine’s resilience, declaring that they are in a strong position to continue fighting.

In addition to his discussions with Zelensky, Trump is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during the event. He has also had meetings with European Union President Ursula von der Leyen and Argentine President Javier Milei at the General Assembly.