Ukraine President Zelensky to meet Trump next week

Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold talks with President Donald Trump in New York next week, Kiev said Friday, the first meeting since Zelensky's May inauguration. Zelensky will be in the United States between September 23-26 to attend the UN General Assembly, his office said.

The meeting with Trump comes amid renewed efforts to end the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's east, in which the US backs Kiev.

The announcement also follows US reports of a complaint filed by a US intelligence official that stemmed from Trump's communications with a foreign leader. The Washington Post said the complaint centres on Ukraine, citing two people familiar with the matter. It allegedly involves a "promise" made by Trump.

Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani have been accused by policial opponents of putting pressure on the Ukrainian government for their own political ends, by withholding US security assistance among other things. They allege that Trump and Giuliani pressured Kiev to prosecute Ukrainians who provided evidence against Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort.