Volodymyr Zelensky raises his tone against the allies just as the war in Ukraine and the peace process enter a potentially decisive September. The Ukrainian president reproaches Europe and Kiev’s supporting countries for reacting too weakly in the face of the new wave of Russian attacks. In the background, the attempts to reopen the negotiating channels with Moscow through the United States, after months in which the attempts led by Washington did not produce an agreement.
“Leaves a very unpleasant aftertaste”
“For the last two weeks, the whole world, Europe and the world that supports us, has been on holiday. And that leaves a very unpleasant aftertaste. I can’t help but share it,” Zelensky said while speaking to reporters during a visit to a school.
“I believe that if there were international signals, even on September 1, Russians, apart from our armed forces, have a certain fear when diplomacy is expressed loudly. It is very unpleasant that some people are on vacation while others are fighting for their lives,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The attacks on Kiev and Odessa
The message arrives after a new escalation. Kiev and the capital region were hit for the sixth consecutive day. In the September 1 attacks, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 12 deaths: eight in the capital, mostly railway workers, and four in Boryspil. Other people were injured. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, in August alone Russia used more than 2,800 jet-powered drones, systems that are faster and harder to intercept than traditional models.
In many cities and communities, work to address the aftermath of the Russian attack has been ongoing since last night – nearly 350 first responders are involved in Kyiv and the region alone. A significant number of jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles were used in the… pic.twitter.com/8cg4ik0V2F
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 1, 2026
The attacks also affected the south. In the Odessa region, energy and export infrastructure and the Orlivka crossing on the border with Romania were affected, where operations were temporarily suspended.
Ukraine, what is happening in the peace negotiations
However, it is on the diplomatic front that the most important movement has taken place in the last few hours. On August 31, Zelensky had a conversation described as “detailed and constructive” with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s envoys.
Gas purchased by the state in 2022 for the war in Ukraine and resold at lower prices: 3 billion hole
The parties are finalizing the dates of a visit by the two American negotiators to Ukraine. Zelensky updated them both on the situation at the front and on the Russian attacks and left one perspective open: “September could bring many changes.”
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian presidential office and a member of the Kiev negotiating team, said that talks between representatives of Ukraine and Russia with the participation of the United States could take place as early as September. “We can’t do without it,” he said, referring to the American presence. The last trilateral round with Russian, Ukrainian and US delegations dates back to February.
The ceasefire plan and the Donbass problem
There is not yet a shared agreement on the table. Instead, there is a synthetic proposal drawn up by Ukraine, the United States and European countries which should be submitted to Moscow. Zelensky explained that the document contains at least three chapters. The first concerns a possible formula for the ceasefire. The second takes up an American idea for a free economic zone in Donbass, possibly administered by a third party. The third concerns the future role of the European Union and NATO and the commitments that Kiev would be willing to assume.
Moscow continues to call for Ukrainian withdrawal from areas of Donbass that the Russian army has failed to conquer. Kiev refuses to cede territories still under its control. The Kremlin has also expressed doubts about the possibility of a third party administering a possible special economic zone in Donbass, claiming that those territories formally belong to the Russian Federation: a position not recognized by Ukraine and by most of the international community.