‘Putting Up One Hell Of A Fight’: Trump Praises ‘Brave’ Zelenskyy During UN Meet

Last Updated:September 24, 2025, 05:21 IST

The meeting focused on pushing Russia to end the conflict, with President Zelenskyy calling for additional US sanctions on Moscow

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy at White House (Reuters Image: File)

President Donald Trump lauded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “brave man” and commended Ukraine’s resilience during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

The meeting focused on pushing Russia to end the conflict, with President Zelenskyy calling for additional US sanctions on Moscow and increased support for Ukraine’s defence capabilities.

“He’s a brave man, and he’s putting up one hell of a fight… we have about 30 meetings scheduled today… but this is an important one — and we have great respect for the fight that Ukraine is putting up,” said Trump.

This meeting follows a previous meeting on August 18, at the White House, which was notably more cordial compared to their February 2025 Oval Office encounter.

During that earlier meeting, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance had criticised President Zelenskyy, leading to a tense atmosphere.

In his address to the UN General Assembly earlier in the day, President Trump criticised the United Nations for its ineffectiveness, accusing it of issuing “empty words” while global crises persist.

“We shouldn’t have any wars if the UN is really doing its job… We [solved] all these wars and we weren’t helped by the UN. We weren’t hurt by them, but we weren’t helped. They didn’t do anything!” said Trump during meeting with Zelenskyy.

He also issued a stark warning to European nations, blaming their immigration policies and reliance on renewable energy for what he described as a looming collapse of Western Europe.

As the 80th session of the UN General Assembly continues, President Zelenskyy is scheduled to address the assembly and participate in the inaugural summit of the Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, highlighting the plight of around 35,000 Ukrainian children believed to be in Russia or occupied territories.

Notably, today’s meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy underscores the ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the conflict in Ukraine.

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