Zelensky Ready For Reciprocal Energy Ceasefire Ahead Of UN Speech
Major Russian drone attacks pummeled the Ukrainian capital overnight, resulting in two people killed and at least 23 wounded, also unleashing large-scale fires and damage, with plumes of black smoke seen hovering over the city.
Other locations came under attack, which has been a nightly phenomenon, including in southeast Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and the Black Sea port of Odesa - the latter where the captain of a cargo ship was tragically killed.
Also, the country's rail system continues to be under threat, with Ukrainian Railways chief Oleksandr Pertsovsky saying the rail network in the capital area was "under fire" - for which he urged "maximum" vigilance from passengers.
Amid ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian exports and imports, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday: "The recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea are unacceptable, regardless of who is responsible."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is meanwhile readying to address to UN General Assembly in New York, with the speech set for the late afternoon session on Wednesday. He's expected to push Western and global partners to hold the line against Putin, and pledge more support - especially missiles and air defense systems - headed into winter.
Zelensky had forewarned in a Tuesday Telegram post that Russia was planning "a new massive attack" against Ukraine. According to some of the latest from New York in the context of the UNGA:
- Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for an “energy ceasefire” with Russia, provided Moscow stops attacks on critical infrastructure.
- Ukraine’s president also urged Trump to organize a trilateral meeting with Putin, saying the leaders should move “as quickly as possible” to end the war.
- Zelenskyy also called on Trump to engage Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying he has influence over Putin, as Kyiv braces for another winter of attacks on its energy infrastructure.
It was only on Monday that President Trump again sought to publicly pressure Zelensky to halt long-range drone strikes on Russia's refineries, in a bid to calm rising diesel prices especially while the parallel Strait of Hormuz crisis persists.
In a phone call, Zelensky was pressed by Trump over the strikes as Washington wants "Russian supplies to be able to reach the global market to provide relief."
But now, after the Tuesday Trump meeting:
“We are ready for an energy ceasefire if the Russians do not strike our energy infrastructure,” he said.
According to him, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will convey Kyiv’s proposal to Moscow. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York City on Wednesday.
Writing later on US social media platform X, Zelenskyy elaborated on the discussions, noting that the leaders discussed "how to end the war."
🇺🇦🇷🇺 Zelensky says Ukrainian lives matter more than energy prices, so he won't stop hitting Russian refineries just to bring diesel down.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 23, 2026
That's what he says he told Trump after POTUS blamed Kyiv for the price spike.
He acknowledged Ukraine's strikes do move the market, but…
Recent efforts to "force" an energy ceasefire in Ukraine have fallen short, given once they are proclaimed it typically takes less than 48 hours for each side to break it. Refineries even in the Moscow area have lately come under major drone barrage, inflicting severe damage.