Lavrov blames Europe, Trump pushes Zelenskyy toward Putin talks
On 26 September, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Europe of blocking U. S. -backed peace initiatives at the United Nations, and President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate a settlement with Russia. Earlier, Trump told Zelensky that Russia's diesel sector had been weakened by the war and suggested an energy truce.
Zelensky replied that Ukraine would halt attacks on Russian oil facilities if Moscow stopped striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure and asked for Patriot air-defence aid. Finnish Defence Minister Antti Stubb said Ukraine was in a stronger position than a year earlier and called for a reciprocal halt to attacks on energy sites, while also seeking additional air-defence and winter energy support. Zelensky later asked Trump to arrange a three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and warned that Ukraine could strike Russian energy sites in winter if Russian attacks continued.
