Zelenskyy says Ukraine preparing for intense ‘week of diplomacy’ in New York

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is preparing for an intense “week of diplomacy” in New York at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) set to start on Tuesday.

“We are now preparing for a very intense week – a week of diplomacy. We can accomplish a lot if our partners hear us and support proposals that truly bring the end of the war closer,” Zelenskyy said in a video address on US social media company X late Sunday.

Zelenskyy said his schedule during the sidelines of the Sept. 23-29 General Debate includes nearly two dozen meetings with leaders from different countries, including US President Donald Trump.

“There will be an important event on the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia – a truly global summit on this issue. It is vital that this week strengthen the world’s resolve for robust action – for without strength, peace will not prevail,” he added, without providing an exact date.

The Ukrainian president told journalists on Saturday that they agreed to discuss the issue of security guarantees with Trump.

Zelenskyy will be leading the Ukrainian delegation to the 80th UNGA, and is also expected to attend the fifth summit of the Crimea Platform, which Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said will be taking place on Sept. 24.

The Crimea Platform is a diplomatic summit initiated by Zelenskyy that is intended to be an international coordination mechanism to draw global attention to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The first summit was held on Aug. 23, 2021, while the last edition of the event took place in September 2024.