Ukrainian and American diplomatic teams are working to arrange a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump at the 81st UN General Assembly in New York next week, Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. On Monday Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to halt strikes on Russian territory if Washington could secure a commitment from Moscow not to strike Ukrainian infrastructure. On Friday President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of hindering the talks. The war is in its 1,669th day. The UN human rights monitoring mission recorded 1,396 civilians killed and 7,978 wounded in Ukraine in the first six months of 2026, a 37 per cent rise on the same period last year. A fourth winter of strikes on power and heating is coming. We pray for the negotiators of Ukraine, Russia and the United States, and for all who hold the power to end this war; for the emergency crews, nurses and postal workers who keep life going beneath the sirens; and for every family on both sides of the line. May the words spoken in New York open a door.