By Julia Struck

Copyright kyivpost

Ukraine is preparing a new prisoner exchange with Russia that could see up to 1,000 Ukrainians return home, while Kyiv ramps up drone strikes against Russian infrastructure and seeks urgent security guarantees ahead of the UN General Assembly, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a conversation with journalists on Sept. 19.

New prisoner exchange with Russia could free 1,000 Ukrainians

“Rustam (Umerov – ed.) spoke with Medinsky about the exchange – they are in contact. We want to take 1,000 people, we are working on lists,” he said.

On broader negotiations with Russia, Zelensky noted there has been no real progress.

“We can meet with them at least tomorrow, if we just want to talk. But we need a result. We have read all their memorandums, we know them well. And they have read ours – they have studied them very well. They know what they want, and we know what we want,” the president said.

He added that Moscow is deliberately dragging out talks and has no intention of ending the war.

Zelensky said he would raise the issue with US President Donald Trump and also with China.

“I think everyone will do their bit to ensure that the meeting at the leadership level takes place,” he said.

No Korean or Finnish model

Zelensky was asked whether a “Korean” scenario for ending the war is being discussed and if a ceasefire agreement could be signed without the signatures of Ukraine and Russia, as was the case with the Koreas.

He replied that Ukraine’s history is different from that of South and North Korea. According to him, such discussions are mostly rhetorical, with the key point being whether the war could end without a final peace treaty.

“It may happen that there will be no final document on the end of the war. That is why they say – for example, French President Macron – that security guarantees should not wait for the end of the war. And here I agree with him that, for example, a ceasefire is enough to provide security guarantees,” Zelensky told journalists.

The president stressed that security guarantees are essential even before a formal treaty on ending the war.

“Nobody is considering the ‘Korean,’ ‘Finnish,’ or any other model. Nobody knows what will happen in the end. But we know what security guarantees are important to us – guarantees that will not allow the Russians to launch a new aggression. And even if they try, they will face real resistance,” he added.

UN General Assembly: Summit on abducted children and talks with Trump

Zelensky confirmed he will travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, where he plans to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine with Trump.

A summit on the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia will also be held, with 38 delegations ready to participate.

“There will also be a Crimean Platform. We are counting on about three dozen countries to join in a broad format. There will be a large number of bilateral meetings on business, technology, defense, and the mineral sector. This will be combined with a major economic meeting,” Zelensky said.

In addition, he noted, there may be a meeting between the first ladies of Ukraine and the United States to address humanitarian issues related to children.

Zelensky stressed that security guarantees would be a key topic in New York.

“We have prepared the basis for security guarantees, which Europe is ready to accept, taking into account that the United States will be there. We have had many discussions, including at various levels among our armies and general staffs with the Europeans and Americans,” he said.

Poland, Romania could aid Ukraine against Russian drones

According to Zelensky, Poland and Romania could help Ukraine shoot down Russian drones to protect their citizens.

“It’s not just about drones falling on the heads of Ukrainians or preventing them from reaching Polish territory. These are joint decisions. We have air defense — we shoot down everything flying at us and at Poland. And Poland can also shoot down everything flying at them and at us with its aircraft,” he said.

Zelensky added that Poland could help protect only western Ukraine — where opportunities exist.

“Or it could be not only Poland, but also Romania. We don’t count on others,” he added.

Ukraine seeks stronger sanctions to pressure Moscow

Ukraine also expects Europe and the US to strengthen sanctions against Russia, since delays in this process weaken pressure on Moscow.

“If the war continues and there are no moves toward peace, we expect sanctions. This is the second issue I will raise at my meeting with President Trump. President Trump expects strong steps from Europe. I expressed my opinion: I think we are wasting too much time if we wait, fail to impose sanctions, or don’t take certain steps that we very much expect from him,” Zelensky said.

He added that Ukraine supports a united European approach to sanctions, including tightening tariff policies against countries that buy Russian energy.

Zelensky also commented on Trump’s recent remarks regarding Europe and China, saying the US president wanted to “take steps before winter,” just like Europe.

“We support his position. For our part, we are working with European countries to ensure they increasingly refuse Russian energy resources. But this is a very difficult process,” he stressed.

According to Zelensky, if Trump takes serious steps, it could push some European states engaged in energy trade with Russia to change course.

“We believe, for example, that Slovakia could be close to this. Everyone is watching the US, in my opinion. Orban cannot be left alone. And by the way, it’s not only Orban or Hungary. It’s Hungary and Slovakia. There are also other countries providing infrastructure for Russian energy,” the president said.

Drone strikes hit Russian oil and military infrastructure

Zelensky said that Ukrainian drone strikes on the Druzhba oil refinery and pipeline have already had an impact on Russia, adding that Ukrainian drones have proven their effectiveness.

“We have drones, we know how to produce them. It all depends on the number of drones we use each day. I think, based on the results of recent operations, it’s clear that we’ve begun to use more drones. But it is still not enough to meet the targets I set for our manufacturers and the Ministry of Defense,” he said.

Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine’s production of long-range drones has now reached a level where further progress depends solely on funding.

“As soon as the number of drones is comparable to Russia’s, they will feel it – in terms of fuel shortages, in terms of scale. We see more and more flying every day. For now, this is only a financial issue,” the president told journalists.

He also highlighted the use of long-range drones to strike military facilities and warehouses, saying these attacks are already having an effect.

According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s partners support such logistical operations because they target military infrastructure, not civilians.

“We all believe that logistical operations are among the strongest today. A logistical operation is when Russian airports don’t work. I’m telling you this based on the reaction of our partners. Civilians remain unharmed, while Russian logistics are disrupted,” he said.

Zelensky also announced that within 10 days Ukraine would present a concept for partial arms exports.

“During the war, no one wants to take risks, but we need money to produce critical weapons, such as drones for the front. So, I believe that in about 10 days we will have an export concept,” he said.

He explained the reasoning with an example:

“Ukraine can produce far more naval drones than we currently need. That means either we reduce production capacity, or we sell the surplus. This way, the state can earn funds to produce the drones we lack most on the battlefield,” Zelensky said.

“We have some high-quality weapons, with both surplus and the capacity to produce more. It makes no sense to cut funding for this when we face shortages elsewhere. But we also don’t want to reduce production,” the president added.

Frontline update: Dobropillya, Pokrovsk, and Kupyansk counteroffensives

Turning to the battlefield, Zelensky reported that in the areas of Dobropillya and Pokrovsk (Donetsk region), Russian forces had attempted to encircle Ukrainian troops – but instead, Ukrainian counteroffensive actions have allowed Kyiv’s forces to encircle the Russians.

“Today, about 330 square kilometers are under our control – 160 have been liberated and more than 170 cleared of the enemy. We understand that Russia will now transfer personnel there to try to hold their positions,” Zelensky said.

He added that Moscow has already deployed the 61st Marine Brigade to the area in an attempt to stop Ukraine’s advance.

“It is not easy to talk about success when we are on the defensive, but I believe this is a success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU. Conclusions can probably be drawn a little later,” he stressed.

Zelensky also reported heavy fighting in the Kupyansk sector (Kharkiv region), where Ukrainian forces are actively engaged.

“We have strong units operating there, destroying Russians concentrated in the area and trying to break through. Counter-sabotage operations are taking place inside the city, and our units are conducting mopping-up actions. We believe the Russians will be eliminated there,” the president said.