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Europe Today: Trump, Zelenskyy to meet at UN as EU fails to agree on Russia sanctions
Trump and Zelenskyy are set to discuss ending the war on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. In Brussels, EU Ambassadors have failed to agree on extending Russia sanctions that are set to expire today. We also break down Macron and Trump's recent meeting in New York.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/09/22/europe-today-trump-zelenskyy-to-meet-at-un-as-eu-fails-to-agree-on-russia-sanctions
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Trump and Zelenskyy are set to discuss ending the war on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. In Brussels, EU Ambassadors have failed to agree on extending Russia sanctions that are set to expire today. We also break down Macron and Trump's recent meeting in New York.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/09/22/europe-today-trump-zelenskyy-to-meet-at-un-as-eu-fails-to-agree-on-russia-sanctions
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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00:15Good morning, it's Tuesday, September 22nd. You're watching Euronews and this is Europe Today.
00:22Coming up, U.S. President Trump is set to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky today as Washington pushes efforts to
00:31secure de-escalation between Russia and Ukraine.
00:34The meeting is scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where
00:40the Russia-Ukraine conflict is expected to remain among the major international issues under discussion.
00:45The talks between Trump and Zelensky will focus on steps towards reducing hostilities and efforts to revive negotiations.
00:54European Union envoys failed to agree yesterday to lift sanctions imposed over Russia's war in Ukraine on businessmen Alisha Usmanov
01:03and Mikhail Friedman, and talks are scheduled to continue today.
01:06Earlier, EU ambassadors had reached a compromise, but then Latvia lodged a last gasp objection.
01:13The 27-nation bloc has been scrambling to reach a deal on extending the sanctions regime ahead of a deadline
01:19tonight.
01:21And Yemen's Houthis have assured Washington that they would not attack U.S. vessels in the Red Sea, following reports
01:28that the U.S. canceled its planned strikes on the group at the last minute.
01:32According to a Houthi official, Washington reached out to the group after their rapid advance down Yemen's western coast to
01:39the Bap el-Mandeb Strait.
01:41The comments came after U.S. President Trump reportedly pulled back from striking the Houthis just hours after deciding to
01:49target the Iran-backed group, following a call with Saudi Arabia's leader.
01:54Welcome to the program. I'm Stefan Grobe.
01:57As Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepare to sit down on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, both
02:05are hopeful that the talks could help move efforts forward to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
02:11But major differences remain over how to do that and what security guarantees Ukraine can expect.
02:18For Kiev, this is a crucial test of Washington's commitment, and for Trump, a chance to show whether his push
02:25for peace can deliver concrete results.
02:28To discuss all of this, I'm now joined by Zerolot Kchentsov, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic
02:36Integration.
02:36Good morning, sir, and thank you for coming.
02:40So what do you expect from this meeting, Trump-Selenskyy?
02:44Is there really a chance for peace?
02:46I mean, Zelenskyy said in the run-up of this that there is momentum, diplomatic momentum in the air.
02:53Good morning.
02:54Indeed, in general, the U.N. General Assembly meeting is an important opportunity to talk to our main partners,
03:04and definitely President Trump is one of them.
03:07And before this meeting, you know, there was a visit of U.S. invoices to Kiev.
03:15There were good discussions, preparing ground for this meeting.
03:19So, and now you see what is happening in Ukraine.
03:22You have daily attacks on civilian infrastructure.
03:25Winter is coming.
03:27Ukrainian grains are locked in the Black Sea.
03:30So, this is a moment to mobilize support for Ukraine, to talk both to U.S. and European partners, and
03:37to try to stop this war.
03:39So, you're optimistic?
03:40I am.
03:42Give us a sense of the military situation.
03:46Can Ukraine sustain the aerial attacks that we've seen over the weekend?
03:51Look, the situation is really complex, because on the battlefield, the Russians are stuck.
03:57At the same time, the increasing pressure on Ukrainian cities, in particular big cities, starting with Kiev.
04:04And, to tell you the truth, it's difficult to withstand this pressure without relevant equipment, without anti-ballistic missiles.
04:13And this is one of the main issues, again, for the General Assembly to discuss with U.S., first of
04:20all, and other partners, how we stop this terror of Russia against Ukraine, including this new equipment, jet drones, which
04:32they are using every day.
04:33Let's talk about the European Union for a second.
04:37And yesterday, the member states failed to pass a new round of anti-Russian sanctions.
04:42What's your reaction?
04:44Look, what is the purpose of this sanction regime?
04:49It's about increasing pressure on Russia to stop this war.
04:55So, that's why we are definitely against political delistings.
05:01So, Russia should make real, concrete steps toward peace.
05:09Then, there is a reason to discuss any delistings, any easing of the sanctions.
05:15In this situation, we expect from the EU to keep the unity, to continue sanctions regime, to have this rollover
05:24for the next period.
05:25Yes, it should be extended, because six months is not enough, it's not sustainable, and definitely keep this pressure on
05:34Russia.
05:36So, you're optimistic here as well?
05:38Look, it's definitely up to our EU partners to find a wise solution, how to keep this unity.
05:48This is the most important thing now.
05:49Well, all right, Deputy Prime Minister, thank you so much for coming on the show today.
05:56The EU was once again facing a last-minute showdown over its Russia sanctions.
06:02Yesterday, EU ambassadors were scrambling to reach an agreement before the current sanctions regime expires today, without success.
06:10Talks were already extended by week.
06:12First, a compromise was found that would have covered more than 2,600 individuals and entities linked to Russia's war
06:20against Ukraine, including senior Kremlin figures and business leaders.
06:24But then Latvia objected.
06:26At the center of the dispute was a demand by France and Slovakia to remove Russian USPEC businessman Alicia Usmanov
06:34and, in Slovakia's case, Mikhail Friedman, from the blacklist.
06:38France said its position is linked to a national security issue, while reports pointed to a possible deal involving the
06:45release of French nationals detained in Azerbaijan.
06:49The episode exposed, once again, just how difficult it is for all 27 EU countries to maintain a united sanctions
06:57policy towards Moscow.
06:59Joining me now is our political correspondent, Jorge Liberero, who's been following the sanctions since the start of the war.
07:07Good morning, Jorge.
07:09So, help us make sense of what happened.
07:12Why did France ask for Usmanov's removal?
07:16Hello, Stefan.
07:17It's quite a saga here in Brussels.
07:19So, let's go back two weeks in time.
07:22That's when the European Union started to discuss the renewal of the sanctions, the individual sanctions that need to be
07:27rolled over every six months.
07:30Slovakia, as usual, asked for the removal of Usmanov.
07:33But then, in a twist, France joined Slovakia and said it had an issue of national security and wanted Usmanov
07:41out as well.
07:42Then, we found out that this issue that France had related to negotiations with Azerbaijan to release two French citizens
07:51currently held in Azerbaijan.
07:53And then, a few days later, we found out that Uzbekistan, the country where Usmanov was born, is also involved
08:01in this process and brokered this deal between France and Azerbaijan.
08:05So, you can see the saga playing along, and that's where we are now.
08:09And what's the solution now on the table?
08:11That's the question.
08:12So, yesterday, it was very intense among ambassadors.
08:15They spent the whole day deliberating, and a compromise was put on the table.
08:19So, this compromise would remove, indeed, Usmanov and Friedman from the sanctions list, so a concession to France and Slovakia.
08:28But as a counterpart, it would extend the sanctions for an unprecedented 36 months, three years.
08:36This has never been done before.
08:38But at the last minute, after hours of long deliberations, Latvia said, I cannot give my green light.
08:45So, unanimity is not yet possible.
08:47As we speak now, ambassadors are meeting again to try to find a solution.
08:51Yeah, what is this thing with Latvia?
08:54What are they planning now?
08:56Well, it was very interesting because last night, at midnight, the Latvian prime minister took to social media and posted
09:04a video explaining his position.
09:06We can see that on the screen.
09:08And he said that the situation was not simple, that Latvia cannot accept the offer on the table.
09:14And he said that he will work with Brussels and Paris, so the two, to find a suitable solution.
09:20He also said that he will convene an emergency meeting of ministers to discuss the situation.
09:25So, that gives you a feeling of the high stakes for the country.
09:30I have to say, of course, that Latvia has elections next month.
09:34So, any sign of weakness towards Russia can backfire against the government.
09:38You need to keep that in mind.
09:39So, we'll see what happens today with Latvia because, as you said, the deadline is ticking very fast.
09:45Jorge, fascinating story for those who understand it.
09:48And our political correspondent, Jorge Libreiro, thank you for breaking it all down for us.
09:54And now we turn our eyes to the United Nations General Assembly again, where French President Emmanuel Macron met with
10:00U.S. President Donald Trump last night.
10:03Let's cross to Paris now, where our correspondent Estelle Nilsson-Julien is standing by.
10:08Good morning, Estelle.
10:10Well, can you bring us up to speed on the latest?
10:15Good morning, Stéphane.
10:16Well, last night, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed what he described as productive talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.
10:24Emmanuel Macron had promised to go into the meeting with total candor, and he appeared to have delivered that.
10:29The pair discussed Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as the ongoing situation in the Red Sea.
10:35Macron said he pressed Trump on the need to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons systems, but that they also reportedly
10:43discussed a possible moratorium between Ukraine and Russia on energy infrastructure, an issue he also raised with Ukrainian President Volodymyr
10:53Zelensky.
10:54And Macron is set to address the United Nations later today.
10:59Estelle Emmanuel Macron has had a busy time internationally, but things have also been heating up domestically.
11:06Now, on Friday, he chaired an emergency meeting with leaders of France's political parties.
11:12Tell us what that was all about.
11:16Yes, so last week, Macron convened a national security crisis meeting with leaders of political parties across the spectrum, and
11:25he briefed them on a range of threats posed by Russia's war against Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East,
11:32but also on the impact of rising fuel prices in France.
11:36And after the meeting, Macron had a press conference where he warned of the intensification of Russia's hybrid warfare targeting
11:45France and Europe, and he also announced that he would work on a plan to protect France's critical infrastructure and
11:53defence industry sites in the face of this threat.
11:56It was, more generally speaking, last week was a tense week for Franco-Russian relations, because Moscow seized the businesses
12:03and assets of several companies, including French company Auchan, last Thursday, in a move which was an apparent retaliation against
12:14so-called unfriendly countries.
12:16And speaking to the press afterwards, Macron also said that he would back an emergency G7 meeting amid growing instability
12:25and rising energy prices.
12:28And we saw the national rally parties, far-right national rally figureheads, share quite a hard-hitting statement condemning Russia
12:37following the meeting.
12:38Is this a change of tune for the party?
12:43Yes, so many were surprised to see Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen issue a statement staunchly condemning Russia.
12:52They reacted to this news about Russia's hybrid warfare in Europe by stating that France would not be intimidated by
13:00Russia or accept any threats or destabilization.
13:03It was certainly some strong language, considering that the national rally has historically been, you could say, lenient towards Russia.
13:12In the past, Marine Le Pen has said she admired Russian President Vladimir Putin to some extent.
13:18She's also taken loans from Russia to finance her political activities when French banks wouldn't provide them.
13:26So we'll have to see how this line evolves over the course of the presidential campaign.
13:31All right, Estelle, Nisson, Julia in Paris. Thank you very much.
13:35Moving on.
13:36The European Commission is facing calls to help fund offshore migrant return hubs as part of its next long-term
13:43budget.
13:44A recent overhaul of the EU's migration rules allows governments to set up migrant detention centers in countries outside the
13:51bloc.
13:52But questions remain over who pays the bill.
13:55For more, I'm now joined by our correspondent, Merit Grin.
13:59Good morning, Merit.
14:01Why don't you just fill us in here?
14:02What's going on?
14:03So, Stefan, for context, there are five EU countries now.
14:06These are Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Denmark in talks on setting up these return hubs.
14:11So these would essentially be detention centers for migrants who have no rights to stay in the EU outside the
14:18bloc's territory, so in foreign countries.
14:20And this was made possible by a new overhaul of EU rules, as you said.
14:24Now, these countries' migration ministers are due to reconvene in Munich over the weekend.
14:28They already met in Copenhagen earlier this month.
14:30They're fleshing out these plans and reports that they have also been in contact or in discussions with countries such
14:37as Rwanda and Uganda.
14:38But these are unconfirmed reports, no confirmation on where these hubs will be set up.
14:42So this comes, Stefan, as we know, migration becoming a very divisive and decisive as well factor ahead of a
14:50big year of elections in Europe next year.
14:52We know about the rise of AfD in Germany in recent regional elections.
14:57We also know the Ceuta crisis have catapulted this to the top of the agenda.
15:01And we see right-wing parties in Europe increasingly hardening their stance on migration for fear of losing votes to
15:07parties further to the right.
15:08We saw Giorgia Meloni in Italy over the weekend announce that she would be banning, for example, the burqa and
15:13the niqab in Italian schools,
15:15seen as a response to the rising support for the party of Roberto Vanacci, which is further to the right.
15:20Now, Italy, as you'll remember, are already trialling a similar system of detention centres in Albania.
15:26But there have been questions over the cost of these centres, also over their efficiency.
15:31They've also been mired in legal problems.
15:33And there is a question now, if you countries do move ahead with setting up these hubs, who pays, Stefan?
15:39And I spoke on this with Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister, Tassos Hativassiliou, excuse me for the pronunciation.
15:48And he told me that he, in fact, sees an opportunity here for Brussels to pay up as for these
15:54innovative solutions, he said,
15:56which could include these return hubs for Brussels to pay up out of its next EU long-term budget, which
16:02is currently under negotiation.
16:04Let's take a listen.
16:06First of all, an effective migration system means effective return system.
16:10This is why we have to find innovative solutions to address this very difficult and important challenge.
16:16Otherwise, no returns means invitation to illegal migration to the European Union.
16:22So, yes, we try to define what those innovative solutions could be, along with other governments of the European Union.
16:29It's too early to define to you what are we thinking about.
16:33But at the same time, we need to do two things.
16:35First of all, to discuss it with third partners, I mean entities or countries outside the European Union.
16:41And secondly, to find all those funding mechanisms in order to make our ideas real.
16:47But we know that it is very difficult to get countries of origin to accept their nationals back.
16:55And this continues to be a problem.
16:57So, how is the return hubs really a solution?
17:00Isn't there a risk here that these migrants will become trapped in some kind of limbo if countries continue to
17:06refuse to repatriate their nationals?
17:08But we need to give incentives to third countries in order to cooperate with us.
17:12For example, when you have a country outside the European Union that receives millions or billions of euros as an
17:19assistance tool,
17:21then they have to accept the agreements they have signed and receive their nationals back.
17:28Otherwise, how could we continue working with them?
17:31And apart from that, we need to move towards new agreements with third countries.
17:36Let us discuss about legal channels of migration.
17:40Otherwise, the smugglers are going to define who is going to enter the European Union and not the European countries.
17:45We have to change it forever.
17:47This has come to the top of the political agenda, again, given what happened in Theuta recently.
17:52Do you think that then the EU needs to reconsider these deals that it has with third countries?
17:58And there needs to be some kind of repercussions on these countries when they are not receiving their nationals back
18:05in the way that they should?
18:06My personal view is that we have to redefine those agreements in a way.
18:11I mean, when a country receives huge EU funding for a reason, that means that this country has to accept
18:18the rules of the game and respect the agreements they have signed.
18:22This is why I'm talking about giving incentives to third countries in order to cooperate with us in the near
18:27future.
18:27I must ask you again, just on the return hubs, because you mentioned the financing, that this will become a
18:34priority, but there needs to be money.
18:36And there's a question over whether states, many cash-strapped states, will be able to fund this.
18:41Should the EU be coming forward with funding for these return hubs?
18:46If we decide to implement any innovative ideas, that means that Europe has to find the adequate resources.
18:53To my opinion, MFF could be a solution to the problem.
18:57You know that there is a third hitting, the global Europe.
19:00Therefore, we could use some resources from the third hitting of the MFF in order to finance migration,
19:05and as I told you before, to support the external dimension of this issue.
19:10So we are here to discuss and find solutions, along with the other EU member states.
19:14Are you disappointed that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen didn't make an announcement on this in her recent State
19:20of the Union speech?
19:21Would you have hoped to hear her say, yes, the EU and the European Commission can dedicate resources to this?
19:27No, I'm satisfied, and we're satisfied with what President von der Leyen has said.
19:31I think that we're all on the same page.
19:33But you would like the Commission to come forward and propose funding for these hubs?
19:37If we decide to do so, I think that the Commission would follow the path.
19:41But again, it's too early to see what's going on now.
19:46And that's it for today.
19:49I'm Stefan Grobe.
19:50See you tomorrow.
19:51I'm Stefan Grobe.
19:54I'm Stefan Grobe.
19:58I'm Stefan Grobe.
20:01I'm Stefan Grobe.
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