Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2026
September 22, 2026
President Trump. Well, thank you very much. We have a very good relationship going, the two of us. And we're—the President and I are trying to figure out a solution, and I think it's going to happen. I really do. I believe it's going to happen.
But we have a lot to talk about, so we're going to go quickly with the press.
But the relationship is very strong. And with Europe, it's very strong. And you saw what just happened with Greenland, which was something very special.
So maybe I'd ask you to say a few words, and then we're going to get down to business. All right?
President Zelenskyy. Of course.
President Trump. Thank you very much.
President Zelenskyy. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you very much for this meeting, and thanks for your personal support, bipartisan support, and the bipartisan support when they voted the Lindsey Graham bill. Thank you very much for this.
And thanks, Jared and Steve. They had a meeting with us. They came to our capital. Thank you so much. The society is very supportive.
I hope that we will end this war, and President Trump will help us to end this war. And I think that we needed to do it as quick as possible before winter.
President Trump. Before winter.
President Zelenskyy. Better before winter we'll—[inaudible]—very much.
President Trump. Big thing, before winter. Right?
President Zelenskyy. Yes, so we will discuss a lot of different things. So let's talk. Thank you.
President Trump. Okay?
Q. President Trump, are you planning to——
Q. Mr. President——
President Trump. Yes, please.
[At this point, several reporters began asking questions at once.]
Ukraine/Russia
Q. Mr. President, last year at this assembly, you said that you think Ukraine can take back all its territory. Do you still think that's the case? Or what do you think they're going to have to give up for peace to happen in Ukraine?
President Trump. Well, I think they're going to make a deal, and I don't want to say what the deal is. We talk about it a lot, including with President Putin, and I think something's going to happen.
But certainly, they are very good fighters. Really, they can be proud of themselves.
Regardless, we'll see what happens. But very, very capable people.
Q. Mr. President, Mr. President——
President Trump. With very capable leadership.
Q. European leaders——
Russia/Ukrainian Airstrikes on Energy Infrastructure
Q. Mr. President, the strikes inside Russia on the refining capacity and the diesel, that seems like that's been a serious hit on the Russians. Can you talk about that?
President Trump. Well, it is a serious hit on the Russians. It's also a serious hit on the price of diesel. The diesel oil—diesel fuel has gone up quite a bit. But we'll be talking about that. But no, it's a very serious hit, certainly on Russia.
Bev [Beverley Turner, GB News], go ahead.
Q. Mr. President——
United Kingdom
Q. So a lot of people in the U.K. are very worried about the mood music from the U.K. and other European leaders about the inevitability of direct conflict between us and Russia. Can you stop that happening?
President Trump. Well, you're talking about the U.K. and Russia?
Q. Yes.
President Trump. Well, I think you'll——
Q. The U.K. and extended Europe.
President Trump. I think you'll be okay. But I will say the rhetoric from your last Prime Minister was too tough. He has to be a little bit careful.
Q. And this one?
President Trump. Well, I haven't heard the rhetoric too much, but I think he's going to be good. I will say he's on your side very much.
And it's a very interesting thing that you say. I've seen that dialogue, and that dialogue is too nasty.
U.S. Diesel Exports
Q. President, Senator Sullivan today has called for a ban on diesel exports—a temporary
ban.
President Trump. On what?
Q. A ban on diesel exports. Chuck Grassley called for the same thing. Mike Rogers called
for the same thing. Is that something you're considering? And if so——
President Trump. Well, I've called for that too.
Q. ——how quickly would you——
President Trump. And I've said let's not send out the diesel. We make a lot of diesel. That could have a little bit of an effect on regular automobile gasoline, because when you do that, you
know, it's a sort of a flow. It's a balance. But no, I've called for it. I've called for it within my people. I've been talking about it.
Scott, do you want to talk about that for a second?
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott K.H. Bessent. We're—yes, we're examining that whether the—whether it's feasible in terms of the overall refining capacity and whether a full or a partial ban would work.
Q. Is there a timeline for a decision on that: days, weeks, months?
President Trump. Fast. One way or the other.
Q. Could I ask——
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Russia
Q. Mr. President, if—President Zelenskyy told us, one, that he's ready to come to Miami for G–20 Summit and sit down with you and Vladimir Putin. If you extend this invitation to Vladimir Putin, will he respect it? Will he join you?
President Trump. Well, I don't know. I know that he will meet, and we've had a meeting already in Alaska. I think he'd do another one.
I don't know about Miami. We have a big thing happening in Miami very soon. But no, he'll meet. He's willing to meet. He's willing—he'd like to see the war end.
Ukraine/Russia
Q. With both you and President Zelenskyy?
President Trump. I think they both want to see the war ended, to be honest with you. It's time. A lot of people being killed, and they don't want that. But I think they both want to see the war ended.
But he'll have a meeting.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
Belarus/Potash Supply
Q. Mr. President, how does the deal look between—with the Belarusian President over potash? And, if that goes through, are you concerned that the money for that deal would strengthen Russia's hand at all in the war with Ukraine?
President Trump. No, not at all. But they—Belarus has a lot of potash, and our farmers need good prices. And we want to get a lower price than Canada.
Q. You said——
President Trump. And we'll continue to go with Canada. But Belarus would like to sell it for a much lower price.
Q. He said there's not much left.
Iran/U.S. Diplomatic Engagement
Q. Mr. President, has anyone from your team met with the Iran delegation? Anyone from—
—
President Trump. Yes.
Q. ——or plans to meet with——With who? Will you say?
President Trump. Yes. Today. I would say——
Q. How was that conversation, Mr. President?
President Trump. ——about an hour ago. It went very well.
Q. Okay. How was that?
President Trump. It ended an hour ago. It was a meeting that lasted for 3 hours. It ended an hour ago.
Q. What was said?
President Trump. It was a very good meeting. I mean, I must tell you it was a very good—I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to do it. It's greatness—potential greatness or obliteration. It's two choices.
Q. What are you leaning towards right now?
President Trump. I mean, it's—you—in one case it's obliteration, and the other alternative is potential greatness. It could be a great country.
Q. What are you leaning towards right now, Mr. President? [Several reporters spoke at once.]
Iran/U.S. Sanctions
Q. President Trump, as you planning to implement the Lindsey Graham bill? It's one of the questions that Ukrainians are very interested about.
President Trump. Well, it's something we're certainly studying. Is a very severe bill. It's very severe. Very tough.
Yes.
Q. Are you planning——
President Trump. We're look at that very, very strongly. [Several reporters spoke at once.]
President Xi Jinping of China/White House Ballroom Construction Project
Q. Are you planning to bring it up with your meeting—with President of China, because it might impact him first way?
President Trump. I'll probably talk about—we're going to talk about it a lot. It's going to be a great meeting, and we're going to have a—look, we have a very good relationship. Look, he likes China; I like the U.S. He loves China; I love the U.S. That's the way it is. But we're going to have a big—it's a big deal tomorrow night. I tell you, everybody wants to be there. Everybody wants to be there.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
I wish we had the ballroom. If we had the ballroom, we could have 2,000 people. But we have a very small room, but—as one of the papers reported, that's the hottest ticket that they've seen in a long time, when President Xi comes in. Almost as hot as when Zelenskyy comes into town. [Laughter]
President Zelenskyy. I'm ready. [Laughter]
Q. Will you bring Zelenskyy to the ballroom next time?
President Trump. What?
Q. Will you bring Zelenskyy to the ballroom?
President Trump. Yes, well—well, we might have that. Yes, he certain—it's going to be. It's under budget and ahead of schedule.
[Several reporters spoke at once.] And we're going to have it open. [Several reporters spoke at once.]
Iran/U.S. Diplomatic Engagement
Q. Can you tell us a little bit more about this Iranian meeting? Did Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkoff participate? And Bessent—Secretary Rubio?
President Trump. Well, there's nothing to say. They had a very good meeting, a very productive meeting. And they have another one scheduled in the very near future meeting——
Q. Between——
President Trump. And I think, Steve, if you want to—or Jared—if want to say something, but they had a very productive meeting, yes.
Q. I take it you don't want to say something, Steve? [Laughter] All right, thank you.
Q. Can you give us something?
Q. Did they say anything about your speech today?
Q. How are you feeling after that meeting?
U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steven C. Witkoff. I feel very good right now.
Q. How will you feel tomorrow?
Special Envoy Witkoff. I think very good. [Laughter] It's a blessing working for Mr.—for President Trump.
President Trump. They had a very good meeting, and we'll see how it turns out.
But certainly, it's to their advantage to make a deal. And if we can do that, it's preferable, I guess. You know, I mean, look, there's two alternatives, and you heard them in my speech today: One is a very bad thing, and another—it could lead to greatness for the country.
So I would think they'd want to do that, so—but we'll see what——[Several reporters spoke at once.]
But they had a good meeting. Yes, please.
Ukraine/U.S. Security Assistance
Q. You announced the possible production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine. Would you be able to deliver on this promise?
President Trump. It's possible. We'll be talking about that. We'll be talking about that now.
See, if you would have come in at the end, we would have had an answer, but we'll be talking about that now. [Laughter]
Very capable production. I mean, we talk about it all the time. Very capable people. Really amazingly capable people.
Thank you very much, everybody.
NOTE: The President spoke at 1:47 p.m. at United Nations Headquarters. In his remarks, he referred to former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Andy Burnham of the United Kingdom. He also referred to his son-in-law, U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Jared C. Kushner.
Reporters referred to Sen. Charles E. Grassley; Michigan Republican senatorial candidate former Rep. Michael D. Rogers; and President Alyaksandr Lukashenka of Belarus. A portion of these remarks could not be verified because the audio was incomplete.
Categories: Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters, New York City; Meetings With Foreign Leaders and International Officials : Ukraine, President Zelenskyy.
Locations: New York City.
Names: Bessent, Scott K.H.; Burnham, Andy; Kushner, Jared C.; Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich; Starmer, Keir; Witkoff, Steven C.; Xi Jinping; Zelenskyy, Volodymyr.
Subjects: Agricultural production, strengthening efforts; Belarus, potash supply; China, President; China, relations with U.S.; Diesel fuel, proposed export restrictions; Diesel fuel, supply shortages; Iran, diplomatic engagement with U.S.; Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026; New York, President's visit; News media, Presidential interviews; Russia, conflict in Ukraine; Russia, President; Secretary of the Treasury; U.S. Special Envoy for Peace;
U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions; Ukraine, President; Ukraine, relations with U.S.; Ukraine, Russian invasion and airstrikes; Ukraine, U.S. assistance; United Kingdom, Prime Minister.
DCPD Number: DCPD202600632.