# Zelensky heads into Trump meeting after CIA director Ratcliffe talks at Irish airport

*Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 6:16 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-22T06:16:12.714Z (2h ago)
**Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Global
**Importance**: 8/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/18530.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Volodymyr Zelensky at Shannon Airport in Ireland before the Ukrainian president flew on to New York, where he’s due to meet Donald Trump and other leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Shannon Airport in Ireland yesterday, according to a Reuters report. The encounter came as Zelensky was traveling to the United States.

By early morning Kyiv time, Zelensky, the first lady, and his diplomatic team had arrived in New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. His plan for the week includes around 20 meetings.

According to Ukrainian reporting, Zelensky’s scheduled talks in New York include a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, discussions with European leaders, U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives, and conversations with heads of international organizations, major American companies, and think tanks. A meeting between Zelensky and Trump is due to begin today at 20:15 Kyiv time.

Other commentary from pro‑Russian channels frames the upcoming Trump–Zelensky encounter in harsh terms, claiming Trump will strongly criticize Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. That language reflects their own stance and doesn’t amount to an official U.S. position.

The combination of an airport meeting with the CIA chief, a dense schedule in New York, and a set time for talks with Trump shows how tightly packed Ukraine’s high‑level contacts are around this UN gathering. Any official readouts from the Trump–Zelensky meeting or further disclosures about Ratcliffe’s conversation with Zelensky would help clarify how Washington and Kyiv are coordinating on issues such as strikes on Russian infrastructure.