On September 20 local time, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy posted on social media saying that he had just spoken with U.S. President Trump.
This was an important conversation; we discussed many things," he said. "We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting may bring about major changes." He added: “The diplomatic mood is forming.”
Zelenskyy said that in a phone call, he thanked Trump for sending envoys Witkov and Kushner to Kiev. "We discussed key details in detail... We had ideas for steps to ease the situation, as well as solutions to basic security issues—energy security, food security, and protection of human life. We are working with the United States to prepare for truly serious measures."
Zelenskyy also thanked the United States for passing the "Graham Act of 2026 to Sanction Russia and Iran".
This bill significantly strengthens sanctions against Russia, extends sanctions against Iran, and specifies that third countries importing Russian oil or natural gas may be subject to a maximum of 100% so-called “secondary tariffs”. Some commentators believe that China will be one of the targets for U.S. taxation.
China's response is that it will continue to closely monitor the US's subsequent actions and reserves the right to take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard China's national sovereignty and development interests, as well as the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.
