Zelensky Presses Trump for Patriots in New Winter Military Package

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that he asked President Donald Trump for a new package of military equipment ahead of winter, including Patriot missiles

Zelensky talked to Trump in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, as Kyiv seeks to reinforce its defenses against further Russian attacks.

The Ukrainian leader also expects Washington to seek an agreement aimed at stopping attacks on energy infrastructure.

“I think he will try to negotiate some energy ceasefire,” Zelensky said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Winter Defenses in Focus

Zelensky said he had sought Patriot systems alongside other unspecified technologies.

He argued that Moscow was unlikely to alter its approach without additional pressure from Washington, including tougher sanctions.

The Ukrainian president said Russian President Vladimir Putin had little incentive to change course despite limited battlefield advances.

“The situation on the battlefield is not successful for Putin, so he’s not winning, it’s true,” Zelensky said.

Energy Strikes Complicate Talks

Energy has become another source of friction between Kyiv and Washington.

Ukraine has carried out drone attacks against refineries deep inside Russia, with Zelensky claiming Ukrainian forces had destroyed 45% of Russian refining capacity.

The strikes have disrupted Russian fuel production as diesel and other energy prices have risen. Moscow has restricted most diesel exports to preserve domestic supplies.

Trump has pressed Zelensky to stop targeting Russian refineries, according to the Ukrainian leader, who said the issue was not raised directly during their latest talks.

Zelensky defended Ukraine's strikes as a response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian energy infrastructure.

“Our lives are more important than the price of energy,” he said.

Pressure for an Energy Moratorium

Energy prices have been a prominent topic at the U.N. gathering.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for Russia and Ukraine to suspend strikes on oil infrastructure and for grain shipments through the Black Sea to move without obstruction.

U.S. diesel prices have also climbed sharply. The national average reached $6.53 a gallon on Tuesday, nearly $1 higher than a month earlier, according to the Oil Price Information Service.

Russia accounted for 11% of global diesel exports in 2025 before Ukrainian attacks reduced output this year.

Zelensky Warns of Wider Risks

Zelensky said Russia had secured only limited territorial gains while sustaining large personnel losses.

He nevertheless voiced concern that Putin could seek a visible success elsewhere, including through action against a NATO member or through hybrid operations.

“He has to sell something to his society,” Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president also said peace negotiations would remain difficult because Moscow was not prepared to reach an agreement.

China and North Korea Criticized

Zelensky accused China of providing Russia with unspecified technology, including what he suggested could involve communications capabilities similar to Starlink.

He also said North Korean troops had gained combat experience while fighting alongside Russian forces.

Zelensky argued that the war had demonstrated the increasingly interconnected nature of modern conflict and the need for allies to share technology.

“There is no distance in this war at all,” he said.

Zelensky is due to make his fourth in-person address to the U.N. General Assembly since Russia's 2022 invasion.