Trump Signals Confidence in Russia-Ukraine Deal After Zelenskyy Meeting
Trump met Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly, said a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war is possible, and floated Patriot production in Ukraine and a diesel export ban.
US President Donald Trump expressed confidence on Tuesday that a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war can be reached, speaking during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
"We're going to make a deal," Trump told reporters seated beside Zelenskyy, adding that both Russia and Ukraine want the conflict to end. He declined to detail the terms, saying the matter had been discussed extensively, including with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I think something's going to happen," he said.
Trump said he would be open to meeting Putin again, though he did not commit to a location or date.
On military support, Trump said Washington is discussing the production of Patriot missile interceptors in Ukraine.
Separately, the president said he wants to ban diesel exports from the United States, a step he said he has already urged his advisers to pursue. With voters facing higher fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections, Trump is exploring whether halting diesel sales abroad could ease domestic costs.
He said he has asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to assess whether an export ban could help curb inflation. Bessent, responding at Trump's prompting, said the administration is examining whether such a move is feasible given overall refining capacity, and whether a full or partial ban would work. Trump said a decision would come "fast."