Trump says he talks frequently with Putin on Ukraine deal
Rubio is due to meet Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in New York on September 23.
Published
President Trump says he talks frequently about a Ukraine settlement, including with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are working on a solution to end the war.
Zelenskyy says he hopes Trump helps Ukraine end the war before winter.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York on September 23. Rubio has called avoiding strikes on energy sites the "ideal outcome" for Russia and Ukraine, stopping short of Ukraine's demand for a full halt on strikes against its power grid.
A drone strike damaged a radiation monitor at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Russian-installed officials say, as Kyiv and Moscow prepare for separate talks in New York this week.
The statements from Trump and Zelenskyy point to active efforts toward a settlement, but they stay within the diplomatic positioning both sides have held for months. Trump has repeatedly said he and Zelenskyy are working on a solution, and Zelenskyy has repeatedly signaled he is ready for talks. Without concrete terms or a firm step toward agreement, the situation remains one to watch rather than one that has changed.