Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with President Trump on Tuesday to discuss a possible bilateral ceasefire on energy-related goals.
Published September 23, 2026
Hours after U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed peace efforts, Russia shelled the country, killing at least two people in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and four others in the frontline Donetsk region.
The unusual daylight attack on Kiev, carried out by fast, high-flying jet drones that are difficult to intercept, lasted several hours from Wednesday morning until early afternoon, killing two people and wounding more than 30, local officials said.
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Zelenskiy said Russia has deployed numerous drones over the city, many of them jet-powered.
“Russia continues to target civilian and critical infrastructure, including pharmaceutical facilities, gas stations, railroads, communications infrastructure, and shopping malls,” he said in X.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russian drones hit a nine-story non-residential building, a business center and a warehouse in the city.
Ukrainian oil company Ukrnakhta said Russia attacked one of its gas stations in the capital, the sixth such attack on such facilities in recent weeks. Officials said a total of two gas stations were attacked.
Oleksandr Pertsovsky, CEO of Ukraine’s railway operator, said the capital’s rail infrastructure was also attacked and one employee was injured.
Another Russian airstrike killed at least four people and injured four others in a village in eastern Ukraine’s frontline Donetsk region, the region’s governor said in a telegram.
Meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskiy
President Zelensky met with President Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss a possible bilateral ceasefire on energy-related goals. He called for increased supplies of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles to protect the country from an expected increase in Russian attacks on energy infrastructure this winter.
The Ukrainian leader added that although no deal had been reached, he was open to “any form” of an energy ceasefire with Russia, as long as Russia stopped attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure.
The Financial Times reported on Monday that Trump pressed Zelensky on Sunday to call off the attack on a Russian oil refinery in Kiev, citing concerns that it was exacerbating a global diesel shortage and driving up prices, citing people familiar with the call.
Still, on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters before a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that there was no basis for peace talks with Ukraine.
“At the moment there are no preconditions for moving to a peaceful negotiation path, but we, on the Russian side, remain open to peace negotiations,” Peskov said.
He added that President Vladimir Putin is prepared to meet with President Trump one-on-one if the leaders deem it necessary. Still, he reiterated that the meeting between Putin and Zelensky would require the Ukrainian leader to travel to Moscow.
Ukraine had previously said it was unacceptable to go to Moscow for any talks and that any talks should take place in a neutral country.
The spokesperson added that it is also not the right time to hold a peace summit. “Generally speaking, in any other situation, it would be a waste of time and inappropriate to hold a summit before the groundwork is in place at the expert level,” he said.
