Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heads to the United States this week to rally more support from allies. He’ll speak at the United Nations and sit down with Donald Trump. But back home in Kyiv, Ukraine is gearing up for a tougher road ahead in the war with Russia—one where it leans more on its own strength.
Hopes for harsh new U.S. sanctions on Russia’s war machine are slipping away. That shift brings a dose of realism to Zelensky’s trip. It’s not as tense as his rocky February meeting at the White House, where things went south. European diplomats worked overtime, and Ukraine issued an apology, which helped restart key U.S. intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries approved under the previous administration.
Still, heavy lobbying hasn’t swayed Trump on sanctions strong enough to pressure Vladimir Putin into talks. Many Ukrainians doubt the war will wrap up anytime soon. “Only 18% of us believe the fighting ends this year,” says Anton Grushetskyi, head of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. Uncertainty hangs over the country like a cloud.
Putin has notched some wins lately, like his high-profile summit with Trump in Alaska. Ukraine seems to be adapting fast. A think-tank that once tracked Russian targets for sanctions now crunches data to guide drone strikes on the battlefield, according to one senior staffer. The country faces not just U.S. hurdles but potential drops in European aid too.
Ukraine’s pushing back hard on its own. Long-range drones have slammed into Russian ports and oil refineries, sparking warnings from Moscow about production cuts for its energy giants.
Zelensky plans to press Trump for those fresh sanctions on Tuesday, right before his UN General Assembly speech on Wednesday. Kyiv’s also floating ideas for a summit focused on Crimea, the peninsula Russia occupies. It’s a clear move to block any peace talks that might hand Crimea over permanently—something most Ukrainians reject outright.
Putin claims over 700,000 Russian troops are on Ukraine’s front lines, controlling about 20% of the country. Moscow wants even more land before even considering negotiations, a demand that strikes at Ukraine’s core.
Ukrainian officials downplay the trip as routine diplomacy, not a do-or-die mission. “New York every September is a must—it’s a super important spot,” First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya told reporters. He added that big conflicts like this don’t get quick fixes, so expect hard work to continue after the visit.
On the ground, Russian forces—invading since February 2022—keep pushing east but haven’t captured the key city of Pokrovsk despite months of trying. U.S. help, though scaled back, stays vital for Ukraine’s defenses. Allies worry about Kyiv’s troop reserves.
A top European diplomat highlights how U.S. intelligence and a new system for buying American weapons keep Ukraine in the fight. Zelensky noted the first batch included Patriot missiles and HIMARS launchers, with over $2 billion lined up for U.S.-made arms so far.
That steadier weapons flow shows in Zelensky’s calmer recent comments. Former Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk explains Europe’s approach often aims to deter future threats. But with Putin showing no signs of stopping, Ukraine’s game plan is simpler: block Russian gains and neutralize their momentum. “That could stabilize things and spark some recovery, even if Russia won’t call it quits,” he says.
Not everyone’s optimistic. A former Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, brushes off chances of Trump imposing sanctions. He urges focusing on beefing up Ukraine’s military instead. As for weeks of talks on post-war security guarantees? “It’s like a ritual dance—pretty, but people are dying,” he quips.
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