Donald Trump met with Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, reports dw.com.

US President Donald Trump has called for NATO countries to shoot down Russian warplanes if they violate the alliance's airspace. "Yes, I agree," he replied to a question posed to him by a journalist on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, September 23. At the same time, Trump evaded a direct answer to the question of whether the United States is ready to help its allies in such situations. "It depends on the circumstances," he said.

Speaking at a joint briefing with President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, the head of the White House expressed the opinion that the full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine will not end soon. "The biggest progress (in ending the war) is that the Russian economy is in terrible shape right now. As you know, it's crumbling. And, frankly, Ukraine is doing a very good job of stopping this huge army," Trump said.

Zelensky, in turn, announced the liberation of 360 square kilometers of Ukraine's territory over the past month and the encirclement by the Ukrainian army of thousands of Russian soldiers, whom Kiev expects to subsequently exchange for captured Ukrainians. He also noted that Ukraine is counting on increased pressure and tougher sanctions against Russia. "We fully support your idea, Mr. President, to stop the purchase of Russian oil and gas by European countries," he said.