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U.S. Set to Open Two New Military Bases in Greenland Under Major Arctic Security Deal

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The United States is preparing to dramatically expand its military footprint in Greenland, with plans to establish a presence at two additional locations on the strategically important Arctic island under a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland, according to people familiar with the arrangement.

The agreement calls for the United States to return to Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland, where American forces operated the Bluie West One installation during the World War II and Cold War eras, while also establishing a presence at Mestersvig on Greenland’s remote eastern coast.

Narsarsuaq, once an important American military facility, now has a population numbering only a few dozen people. The United States closed its military base there in the 1950s as its defense posture in Greenland evolved.

Mestersvig, meanwhile, is currently a Danish military outpost used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite Danish unit responsible for conducting long-range patrols and helping enforce Danish sovereignty across Greenland’s vast and sparsely populated Arctic territory. Two people familiar with the planned agreement identified Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig as the locations where the new American presence is expected to be established.

The United States, Denmark and Greenland are scheduled to formally sign the new agreement Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. EDT on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen for the trilateral signing ceremony.

The full text of the agreement has not yet been released publicly. Three people briefed on the arrangement, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cautioned that its provisions will not be considered final until the agreement is formally signed.

The governments of Denmark and Greenland did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the specific plans for the two military sites. The White House likewise did not immediately provide additional details about the planned expansion.

Denmark has characterized the broader agreement as a way of placing Arctic security more firmly within the NATO framework rather than treating the defense of Greenland primarily as a matter between Washington and Copenhagen. Danish officials have said the agreement will respect Greenland’s sovereignty while addressing growing security concerns in the Arctic.

The new arrangement follows months of negotiations that began amid tensions over President Trump’s repeated statements that the United States should control Greenland. Trump had at times declined to rule out the use of economic or military pressure in seeking American control over the semiautonomous Danish territory.

Those statements produced a significant dispute between NATO allies earlier this year, particularly in January, as Danish and Greenlandic leaders insisted that Greenland was not for sale and that decisions about the island’s future belonged to its people. Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk subsequently entered negotiations aimed at addressing American security concerns without transferring sovereignty over the territory.

The resulting agreement is expected to preserve Danish sovereignty over Greenland while substantially increasing the ability of the United States to operate militarily on the island. Denmark has also said the arrangement broadens responsibility for Arctic security by involving NATO more directly.

The expansion would represent a partial return to the much larger American military presence that existed in Greenland during the Cold War.

At its height, the United States operated 17 military installations across Greenland and stationed more than 10,000 personnel on the island. Greenland’s geographic position between North America and Europe made it particularly important for early warning systems and defense planning during the confrontation between the United States and Soviet Union.

Today, the American military presence is concentrated at Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, formerly known as Thule Air Base. Approximately 150 U.S. military personnel are currently stationed there. The installation plays an important role in missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance.

With the addition of Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, the United States would once again maintain a military presence at three separate locations across Greenland, significantly extending its reach across the island as Washington and its NATO allies place increasing emphasis on security in the Arctic.

Major Networks Suspend Trump TV Pool Coverage in Protest Over White House Ban

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The five major television networks that make up the White House television pool suspended pooled coverage of President Donald Trump on Monday, declining to replace CNN after the White House barred the network — along with MS NOW and Politico — from the presidential complex.

ABC, CBS, Fox News, NBC and CNN jointly halted their participation in television pool duties. Under the longstanding arrangement, the networks rotate responsibility for providing video of presidential events that is then distributed to other news organizations around the world. CNN had been scheduled to handle the assignment Monday during Trump’s trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,” the five networks said in a joint statement. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”

The move came the same day CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed suit against the Trump administration over the revocation of their reporters’ White House credentials. The organizations contend that excluding them because of objections to their coverage violates the First Amendment as well as constitutional due-process protections.

Trump defended the administration’s action Monday, saying the restrictions were directed at reporting he considers false rather than at freedom of the press itself.

“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America.”

Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be prohibited from accessing the White House “effective immediately,” accusing the three organizations of repeatedly reporting “FICTION and LIES.”

The ban was implemented the following day. CNN reporter Betsy Klein and MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner were denied entry after their credentials were deactivated, while Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also turned away and had her badge confiscated, according to reports.

Trump said Friday that he continues to support the principle of a free press but believes news organizations also have a responsibility to provide accurate coverage.

“You need a free press. You need a fair press and an honest press,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I dislike dishonest press.”

The effects of the dispute extended to Trump’s Monday visit to New York for the U.N. General Assembly. Because CNN had been scheduled to serve as the television pool network and the other networks declined to replace it, the normal pooled television operation did not accompany the President. Other forms of press-pool coverage continued.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico are seeking emergency relief from a federal court that would restore their journalists’ access while the broader lawsuit is litigated.

“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,” they said. “Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”

The confrontation is not the first time a dispute over presidential press access has reached federal court.

During Trump’s first term, CNN went to court after the White House suspended correspondent Jim Acosta’s press credential in 2018. A federal judge ordered the administration to restore Acosta’s credential while the case proceeded.

The Associated Press also sued the Trump administration in 2025 after the White House restricted its access to certain presidential events amid a dispute over the news organization’s continued use of the name “Gulf of Mexico” rather than the administration’s preferred “Gulf of America.”

For now, the television networks said there would be no substitute network assigned to take CNN’s place in the presidential television pool. Congressional coverage, coverage of visiting dignitaries and other pool operations outside the specific presidential assignment are continuing normally.

Trump and Mamdani Talk Housing, Affordability in Hourlong Gracie Mansion Meeting During U.N. Week

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President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met for roughly an hour at Gracie Mansion on Monday, discussing a major housing proposal in Queens and the broader affordability crisis facing New Yorkers as scores of world leaders arrived in the city for the United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting marked the third known face-to-face encounter between Trump and Mamdani and their first at the mayor’s official residence. Despite significant political differences, the two leaders emerged together afterward and said they intended to continue working on areas where the federal government and City Hall could cooperate.

Trump arrived at Gracie Mansion shortly before 4 p.m., making the stop as part of a packed New York schedule surrounding his appearance at the U.N. General Assembly. Nearly 130 world leaders were expected in New York for the gathering, with Trump scheduled for a series of meetings with foreign leaders during his visit.

Standing alongside Mamdani following their private discussion, Trump reflected on his own history at Gracie Mansion and the mayors who have occupied it over the years.

“Hopefully you’re going to be a great one,” Trump told Mamdani, patting him on the back. “And you’re off to a start.”

The President said the visit had a distinctly New York feel despite the international diplomacy dominating his schedule.

“I have a lot of meetings right now, very important meetings with heads of different countries, but this is like a little bit of old home week for me,” Trump said, adding, “We’ve done so many things from the beautiful home or house or building standing right behind me.”

Housing emerged as one of the central subjects of Monday’s discussion. Trump and Mamdani said they spoke about plans for a large-scale development in Queens as well as broader efforts to reduce the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers.

More specifically, the discussion included the long-debated proposal to build over Sunnyside Yard in western Queens. The massive rail yard has for years been eyed as a potential site for a new neighborhood, and Trump and Mamdani said Monday that discussions over a plan involving approximately 12,000 homes were moving forward. The project has been estimated to cost roughly $21 billion and would face substantial engineering, financing and approval hurdles before construction could begin.

Housing has been a central focus of Mamdani’s first year at City Hall. His administration says New York City financed the creation or preservation of 12,491 affordable homes during the first six months of 2026, while his first city budget included a planned $22 billion in affordable-housing capital investment over five years.

Monday’s meeting continued a relationship that has attracted attention because of the substantial ideological differences between the Republican President and the democratic socialist mayor.

Their first meeting came at the White House shortly after Mamdani won the 2025 mayoral election. The encounter was considerably more cordial than the public exchanges that had characterized the campaign, during which the two repeatedly criticized each other. At the White House meeting, both emphasized areas where federal and city officials might cooperate on issues affecting New Yorkers.

Mamdani returned to Washington in February for another meeting with Trump. During that visit, he presented the President with a mock New York Daily News front page reading “Trump to City: Let’s Build,” a play on the newspaper’s famous 1975 “Ford to City: Drop Dead” headline. Mamdani used the meeting to press for federal cooperation on housing development in New York.

Both men acknowledged Monday that those cooperative discussions have not erased their significant disagreements on other issues.

One such disagreement surfaced during the post-meeting press conference when Mamdani was asked about Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters from White House grounds. Mamdani said he considered it important for those organizations, along with other media outlets, to be permitted to cover Monday’s event at Gracie Mansion.

Trump defended his decision to restrict the outlets’ White House access, arguing that their reporting has been unfair.

“It’s interesting because they said they were gonna boycott me. But they never boycott me,” the president said, before adding, “I think that these outlets have an obligation to be fair.”

CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed suit against the Trump administration Monday over their removal from the White House, arguing that the decision violates their First Amendment and due-process rights. The White House has countered that the First Amendment protects the outlets’ right to publish but does not guarantee reporters physical access to the White House complex.

Trump’s appearance at Gracie Mansion also represented a return to a building he had visited long before entering the White House.

Among his previous appearances there was the 2003 wedding of then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Judith Nathan. Trump also attended a 2007 book event at the mansion for longtime Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel.

After Trump departed, Mamdani returned to the Gracie Mansion lawn and spoke further with reporters. He acknowledged that he and the President remain far apart politically and on numerous policy questions but said he viewed continued communication with Washington as worthwhile when it could produce tangible benefits for New Yorkers.

“I will continue to have conversations with the president, and frankly, anyone who can deliver relief to the people of this city,” Mamdani said.

The meeting took place against an unusually international backdrop in New York, with heads of state, diplomats and security delegations converging on Manhattan for the U.N. General Assembly. Trump is scheduled to address the General Assembly and hold a series of bilateral meetings with foreign leaders during his stay.

White House Defends Media Ban, Declares Press Access ‘a Privilege — Not a Right’

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The White House on Monday defended President Donald Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds, arguing that reporters have no constitutional guarantee of physical access to the presidential complex and pointing to past disputes between Democratic administrations and news organizations. The three outlets filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging the ban on First Amendment and due-process grounds.

Trump announced the removal of the three organizations last week, accusing them of repeatedly publishing false information. The outlets’ reporters were subsequently denied entry to the White House grounds.

In its response Monday, the administration said CNN, MS NOW and Politico remain entitled to report on Trump and his administration, but argued that freedom of the press does not automatically include credentials or physical access to the White House.

“The First Amendment protects their right to publish; it does not entitle them to a hard pass, briefing room seat, or place in the press pool,” the White House said in a statement.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued the administration Monday, asking a federal court to restore their White House access. Their lawsuit argues that the government cannot revoke press credentials because officials object to the content of a news organization’s reporting. The outlets allege violations of both the First Amendment and the Fifth Amendment’s due-process protections.

The news organizations maintain that constitutional protections prevent government officials from selectively denying journalists access in retaliation for coverage they dislike. A federal court hearing on their request for emergency relief is scheduled for Wednesday.

In defending its action, the Trump administration argued that disputes over White House press access predate the current controversy and cited several examples involving the administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Among the cases highlighted by the White House was the Obama administration’s highly publicized 2009 dispute with Fox News. Administration officials sharply criticized the network and sought to distinguish it from other news organizations, while Fox and other media groups objected to efforts to exclude it from certain interviews and pooled coverage.

Then-White House communications director Anita Dunn referred to Fox News as the “communications arm” of the GOP, while other Obama administration officials questioned whether the network should be treated in the same manner as traditional news organizations.

The White House also cited the Obama-era Justice Department investigation involving Fox News correspondent James Rosen. During an investigation into the disclosure of classified information, federal investigators obtained records connected to Rosen’s communications and described him in court documents as a possible “co-conspirator” as they sought to identify his source.

Another example cited by the administration involved the Justice Department’s seizure of telephone records associated with more than 20 Associated Press lines used by reporters and editors. The action, which covered a two-month period, prompted objections from the AP and press-freedom organizations.

The White House statement also pointed to earlier Obama-era conflicts involving the Boston Herald and San Francisco Chronicle as additional examples of tensions between an administration and individual news organizations.

It further noted that during the final stretch of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, journalists representing three newspapers were removed from the campaign plane after their editorial pages endorsed Republican presidential nominee John McCain. The newspapers disputed the suggestion at the time that the decisions were retaliation for those endorsements.

The administration also cited press-access controversies during the Biden presidency.

In 2023, New York Post reporter Steven Nelson was denied access to an event involving Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nelson had repeatedly questioned Biden about foreign business dealings involving members of his family, and the Post objected publicly to his exclusion.

That same year, the Biden White House introduced revised requirements governing permanent White House press credentials. The changes resulted in hundreds of journalists losing their existing hard passes unless they met the new criteria.

The Trump administration cited those previous disputes to argue that presidential administrations have long exercised discretion over who receives physical access to the White House, rejecting assertions that restrictions on press access originated with Trump. The legality of the current ban, however, is now before a federal court, with CNN, MS NOW and Politico arguing that the administration singled them out because of their reporting.

“No President is required to host a hostile operation on the grounds,” the White House statement read. “Access has always been a privilege — and President Trump is applying that rule.”

TERROR: Gunman Opens Fire Outside Ontario Shul During Yom Kippur, Seriously Wounding Police Officer

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A police officer assigned to protect a shul in Belleville, Ontario, was seriously wounded Sunday night when a shotgun-wielding gunman opened fire outside the building as approximately two dozen Jews were inside for Yom Kippur davening, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire that sent congregants scrambling for cover.

The shooting erupted at approximately 7 p.m. outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue, located near Victoria and Bleecker avenues in Belleville, about 110 miles east of Toronto. Authorities said as many as 20 to 30 shots were fired during the confrontation, with bullets striking the shul, nearby homes and vehicles. No congregants inside the building were injured.

Authorities on Monday identified the wounded officer as Const. Jeff Smith, a 13-year veteran of the Belleville Police Service. The suspected gunman was identified as 29-year-old Sean Ward of Quinte West. Smith remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition, while Ward was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

According to Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, which is investigating the police shooting, Smith was stationed near the shul when Ward allegedly approached armed with a shotgun and opened fire. Smith returned fire, and a second officer who arrived during the confrontation also discharged his weapon. Both Smith and Ward were struck.

The gunfire broke out as members of the small Jewish community were gathered inside the shul on the opening night of Yom Kippur.

Norman Weddum, president of Sons of Jacob Synagogue, said Smith had been positioned outside the shul in an unmarked police vehicle as a security measure. Weddum recalled suddenly hearing the barrage of gunfire while the congregation was inside.

“It was boom, boom, boom,” Weddum said. “So that’s when we ran back into the auditorium of the synagogue, closed the doors behind us so as to not leave a visible target and we hit the floor.”

Approximately 25 people were reportedly inside at the time. The congregation subsequently canceled its remaining Yom Kippur services following the shooting.

Weddum said he believes the location and circumstances of the attack point to an antisemitic motive.

“When an individual with a firearm approaches a synagogue where Jews are praying, I would call that a hate crime,” he said.

Authorities, however, have not yet established a motive or officially determined that the shul or Jewish community was deliberately targeted. Investigators are examining the possibility of a hate-related motive, but the investigation remained ongoing Monday.

Belleville Police Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks sought to reassure the community that there was no continuing threat while strongly condemning antisemitism and violence.

“We recognize the concern and uncertainty many may be feeling, particularly given that this occurred near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue during one of the holiest days in the Jewish faith,” Meeks said. “Let me be very clear: antisemitism, hate, and violence have no place in our community. Every person deserves to feel safe when attending a place of worship, gathering with loved ones, or participating in community life.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the shooting and emphasized the right of Canadian Jews to practice their religion without fear.

“Jewish people must be able to worship safely. To live free, open, proud Jewish lives. Canada’s government will do everything in our power to support law enforcement in ensuring that the perpetrator is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Carney said.

Carney’s comments came amid heightened concern over antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish institutions in Canada. Police departments in other communities increased their presence around shuls and other houses of worship following the Belleville shooting.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre also condemned the attack.

“This vile antisemitic violence in Canada must end, and this Liberal government must act now to protect our people,” Poilievre said.

“Jewish Canadians must once again be able to live in their communities and pray in their places of worship without fear of being shot at or attacked,” he added.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was “disgusted” by the violence and expressed solidarity with Jews in Belleville and across the province.

“My thoughts are with the Jewish community in Belleville and across Ontario, who have every right to gather and worship safely and without fear,” Ford said.

“We owe an immense debt of gratitude to this brave officer and to all the first responders who acted so quickly to keep the community safe,” he added.

The Ontario Special Investigations Unit has assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to the case. The SIU automatically investigates incidents involving police in Ontario that result in serious injury or death. Investigators have appealed to anyone who witnessed the shooting or possesses video or photographs of the incident to come forward.

Police maintained an increased presence around houses of worship in Belleville on Monday as investigators continued processing the scene around Sons of Jacob Synagogue. Authorities said there was no known ongoing danger to the public.

More Than 70 Yeshiva Bochurim and Yungeleit Spending Yom Kippur in Military Prison

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More than 70 yeshiva bochurim and yungeleit are spending Yom Kippur inside Israel’s Prison 10 military detention facility after refusing to enlist in the IDF, according to an organization assisting those imprisoned over the ongoing military draft controversy.

The Notnim Gav organization published a special notice ahead of Yom Kippur containing the Hebrew names of the detainees together with their mothers’ names, allowing members of the public to mention each of them individually in their prayers on Yom Kippur.

The notice was issued under a heading meaning “The Cry of Your Prisoners” and stated that more than 70 bochurim and yungeleit would remain behind bars throughout the holiest day of the Jewish year.

According to the organization, those listed were imprisoned after declining to enlist in the IDF in accordance with instructions from leading Torah authorities.

The publication of the names was intended to encourage Jews around the world to remember the detainees during their Yom Kippur prayers, asking that they be released quickly and emerge “from darkness to light.”

The public was also asked to pray that the prisoners remain strong during their incarceration, continue their dedication to Torah study and resist efforts to persuade them to change their position.

“Dear brothers, please pour out your prayers on their behalf for their speedy release, that they remain steadfast with all their strength against the enticements of the authorities, that the evil decree be annulled, and that they be sealed for a good year,” the notice stated.

The appeal concluded with an emphatic declaration opposing the enlistment of even a single bochur: “No! Not even one!”

{Matzav.com}

Rav Dov Kook Returns Home to Tiveria for Yom Kippur After Months of Hospitalization and Rehabilitation

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There was tremendous emotion among the talmidim of Rav Dov Kook after he returned to his home in Tiveria ahead of Yom Kippur, following an extended hospitalization and many months of complicated treatments and rehabilitation.

Rav Kook arrived back at his residence shortly before Yom Kippur and is spending the day together with his talmidim, with arrangements made for him to be present during the Yom Kippur tefillos in his bais medrash.

Rav Kook’s medical condition remains extremely serious and requires constant supervision. According to sources, Rav Kook is lying in bed and is currently unresponsive.

In order to accommodate his condition, a special area was prepared for Rav Kook inside the bais medrash. The designated space has been enclosed with a curtain, allowing him to remain in the bais medrash while maintaining the privacy and quiet required because of his medical condition.

The arrangement also prevents talmidim from approaching Rav Kook in a manner that could interfere with his rest or medical care, while at the same time allowing him to be together with the kehillah during the tefillos of Yom Kippur.

Despite the seriousness of his condition, there is tremendous joy and emotion among Rav Kook’s talmidim over the fact that, after his lengthy absence, he has finally returned to his home in Tiveria and is spending Yom Kippur in his own bais medrash surrounded by his talmidim.

Tefillos continue for Rav Kook’s complete recovery. The public is asked to daven for Rav Chizkiyahu Dov HaKohen Kook ben Shoshana.

{Matzav.com}

Trump Says Planned 250-Foot D.C. Arch Will Double as Military Complex With Drones and Snipers

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President Donald Trump announced Sunday that his planned 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery will also serve as a military facility capable of housing drones, positioning snipers and storing ammunition, a significant expansion of the purpose originally envisioned for the massive Washington-area monument.

Trump has similarly described the new White House ballroom project as having a national security function, arguing that the structure can serve defensive purposes in addition to its ceremonial role. The President has presented both projects as combining his efforts to reshape and beautify Washington with security-related functions.

The Pentagon said Sunday that it did not have additional information about the military plans for the arch beyond what Trump announced publicly.

The announcement comes as the proposed arch remains the subject of a legal dispute. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has given the project preliminary approval, while three military veterans and an architectural historian have filed suit arguing that congressional authorization is required before construction can proceed.

In a social media post Sunday, Trump said he had agreed, at the “strong request” of the military, to convert the planned 250-foot-tall (76-meter) memorial arch “into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage.”

The proposed arch would rise at Memorial Circle near Arlington Memorial Bridge, a heavily traveled gateway connecting Washington with Northern Virginia. The location sits between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery and is close to the Pentagon and other major federal and military facilities.

The arch is one of several major construction and renovation projects Trump has pursued in Washington. Those projects include the new White House ballroom, changes at the Kennedy Center, renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and plans to rebuild the golf course at East Potomac Park. The proposed golf course changes have raised concerns about potentially reducing public access to nearby running and biking routes.

Construction on the arch had initially been expected to begin this month, but the project has not yet received all of the approvals required for work to proceed. The National Capital Planning Commission approved the proposed site and preliminary plans in July but has not granted final approval. The commission is expected to consider the project again this fall.

Trump and Zelensky Agree to New York Meeting That ‘Could Change a Lot’ in Push to End Ukraine War

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President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to meet in New York this week for talks focused on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Zelensky saying the meeting comes amid renewed diplomatic activity and “could change a lot.”

The agreement came during a telephone conversation between the two leaders on Sunday, as both prepare to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Reuters and other outlets confirmed Zelensky’s announcement of the planned meeting.

“We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum,” Zelensky wrote on the X social media platform.

The planned face-to-face talks will take place as the Trump administration continues efforts to revive negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the war, now more than four and a half years old. U.S. officials have recently intensified diplomatic contacts with both Kyiv and Moscow.

Both Trump and Zelensky will be in New York in the coming days for the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.

In describing his conversation with Trump, Zelensky also expressed appreciation for the recent trip to Kyiv by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who visited the Ukrainian capital earlier this month after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The Sept. 6 visit marked the first trip to Ukraine by the two Trump envoys as part of their diplomatic efforts surrounding the war.

“The peace track is our number-one priority,” he said.

Zelensky said discussions with Washington have included possible measures aimed at reducing the intensity of the conflict while addressing several of Ukraine’s principal security concerns.

“There are ideas for de-escalation steps and for addressing fundamental security issues – energy security, food security, and the protection of human life,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv remains engaged with Trump’s representatives and is prepared to consider significant moves as part of the diplomatic process.

“We are working together with the American team and are ready to take really serious steps.”

The meeting comes amid an effort by the United States to explore potential de-escalation measures between Russia and Ukraine while attempting to restart negotiations toward a broader settlement. Zelensky said earlier this month that Washington was examining possible steps that could reduce hostilities during the approaching winter.

Zelensky also used Sunday’s statement to again thank Trump for signing legislation imposing expanded sanctions on Russia. The measure, championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, was signed by Trump on Friday after passing both chambers of Congress.

The new law targets Russian officials, financial institutions and elements of Moscow’s oil-export network, while also giving the administration authority to impose tariffs on major purchasers of Russian energy. Supporters of the legislation have described it as an effort to increase economic pressure on Moscow as diplomatic negotiations continue.

The upcoming New York meeting follows several weeks of renewed U.S. diplomatic activity. Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Moscow earlier this month for talks with Putin before continuing directly to Kyiv for discussions with Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials. Their trip was aimed at exploring ways to restart negotiations that had largely stalled.

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