US president Donald Trump has appeared to reverse his position on territory Ukraine has lost to Russia, saying Kyiv can win it all back.
He wrote on social media: “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.
“With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, Nato, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”
Until now, he has called on Ukraine to make concessions. Mr Trump wrote the post soon after meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
In his speech, the US president targeted Russian leader Vladimir Putin for his “bad leadership” and issued a fresh threat of “powerful tariffs” on Moscow.
He said Russia’s war in Ukraine was “making them look bad” because it was “supposed to be a little skirmish”.
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said she “cannot rule out” Russian involvement after Copenhagen Airport was shut down due to drone sightings on Monday evening.
Key Points
- Trump reverses stance on Ukraine's lost territory
- Zelensky says Trump's latest comments signal 'big shift'
- Trump fires shot at Putin for his 'bad leadership' in UN speech
- Danish PM doesn't rule out Russian involvement after drones cause Copenhagen Airport shutdown
- Trump threatens 'strong, powerful tariffs' on Moscow
Poland to reopen border with Belarus after major Russia-led military exercise
04:00 , Alex CroftBorder crossings between Poland and Belarus will be reopened on midnight from Wednesday to Thursday, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.
Poland closed its border with Belarus this month as a result of Russia-led military exercises taking place in Belarus.
Nato alliance and European Union member Poland's concerns about the "Zapad" (West) war games were reinforced when some 21 Russian drones entered its airspace on the night of September 9-10.
"The conclusion of these exercises reduces - although I can't say eliminates - various threats, and taking into account the economic interests of Polish carriers and railways, we concluded that this measure has served its purpose," Tusk told the government.
"If tensions increase, we will not hesitate and we will make appropriate decisions."
Rutte says Russian incursions either intentional or 'blatant incompetence'
03:01 , Alex CroftMark Rutte, Nato’s secretary general, has been speaking to reporters about Russia’s repeated incursions into Nato territory.
Either they were intentional, or they were an example of “blatant incompetence”, Mr Rutte said.
But he says Nato had not immediately assessed a threat when Nato jets escorted Russian jets out of Estonian airspace last week.
"We will always assess the danger, whether it is a direct threat to our overall defence, our posture and (...) we will always act accordingly, but in this case there was no immediate threat assessed," he said during a news conference, referring to Estonia.
Use Ukraine's counter drone expertise to protect Nato's borders, says Lithuania
01:30 , Alex CroftLithuania has called for Ukraine’s wartime military experience of downing Russian drones to be integrated into Nato’s plans for a “drone wall”.
“We have big holes in our EU defence. We lack the right equipment that would allow us to detect drones, to follow them, to track them, and then to destroy them. We lack it," Lithuanian foreign minister Kestutis Budrys told Reuters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Budrys said Ukraine was fighting back drones every night and had the integrated systems to counter drones.
The EU is looking at how to create a "drone wall" along the EU's eastern border – a project infused with urgency by a Russian drone incursion into Poland.
“We have to bring this technology to the front line and to build it there, build it there so that it will be effective together with Ukrainians," Budrys said.
Speaking on Russian incursions into Nato airspace, Budrys said Moscow was using the alliance's hesitations and debate on how to respond to expand the grey zone around the conflict.
“We have to also very clearly articulate and show to Russia that further escalation from their side will bring a harsher response," he said.
Analysts and officials said the incursion exposed gaps in Europe's and Nato's ability to protect against drones, although Polish and Nato forces shot down several of them, albeit using expensive air defence systems and warplanes.
Watch: Ukraine braces for new test as Russia steps up drive to seize Donetsk’s fortress belt
00:00 , Alex CroftZelensky says Trump could help change China's support for Russia invasion
23:49 , Tom WatlingUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he believes that Donald Trump could help change Chinese President Xi Jinping's stance on Russia's war in Ukraine.
He added that he was surpised by Trump’s earlier comments in which the US president said that he believed Ukraine could retake all its land occupied by Russia.
Cooper says UK ‘ready to act’ after Trump tells Nato to down Russian planes
23:09 , Tom WatlingForeign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the UK is “ready to act” after Donald Trump urged Nato countries to shoot down intruding Russian planes.
Ms Cooper criticised Moscow for its “provocative and reckless” violations of Nato air space in recent weeks during a speech to the United Nations.
It came as Mr Trump said Ukraine can win back all territory it has lost to Russia – a dramatic shift from his previous call on Kyiv to make concessions.
Ms Cooper told the United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday: “Ukraine’s security is our security, and all of us depend on upholding the UN Charter.
“Russia’s actions seek to undermine democracy, secure conflict and spread instability far beyond Europe’s borders.
“In recent weeks, we’ve seen provocative and reckless violations of Nato air space in Estonia, Poland and Romania, against which Nato stands firm, and we will be ready to act.”
Nato has said it will respond to Russian aerial incursions with “military and non-military tools”.
Zelensky: Trump is a ‘game changer’ in Ukraine conflict
23:08 , Tom WatlingWhy is a functioning rail network so important for Ukraine?
23:01 , Alex CroftAs the country faces nightly Russian air attacks, the rail network has become a crucial replacement for air transport since Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The railway network has been a lifeline for those moving around Ukraine and out of the country, after all civilian flights were grounded.
World leaders and politicians have arrived into wartime Ukraine by train, including former US president Joe Biden, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and French president Emmanuel Macron.
The rail company's popular sleeper carriages are seen as a reliable way to travel overnight and arrive early in the morning in cities many hundreds of miles away.
But the recent intensification of Russian attacks has increased delays for passengers by several hours.
The railway is also crucial for transporting military equipment and commercial cargo, although volumes of the latter have dropped significantly in wartime.
Trump stance on Ukraine is 'big shift', Zelensky says
22:34 , Tom WatlingUK lacks will and leadership to do more to help Ukraine, says Boris Johnson
22:04 , Tom WatlingBoris Johnson has said the UK and its allies lack “the will and the leadership and the sense of urgency” to do more to help Ukraine.
Speaking at the opening of an exhibition called Indomitable Ukraine on Tuesday evening, the former prime minister said the UK is “still apprehensive about the consequences” of stepping up support.
He asked why frozen Russian assets are still not being used to fund the war effort, why the UK is still buying uranium from Russia, why it has not sanctioned Russian energy company Rosneft and why it has not imposed secondary sanctions on those still buying hydrocarbons from Russia.
Mr Johnson said: “I’ll tell you why. It’s because we’re still apprehensive about the consequences, and because we still fundamentally lack the will and the leadership and the sense of urgency to get this done.
“When you consider the immensity of their (Ukrainians’) sacrifice, there is absolutely no excuse for our continuing vacillation.
“The Ukrainians, my friends, are going to win. Ukraine will win. This is a war for independence. They are fighting for their land, they are fighting for their statehood.
“It’s a war of independence, and in the end, wars of independence only end one way, but it will end all the faster if we finally discover the collective will and courage that we need to give the Ukrainians what they need.”
Ukrainian rail network surviving amid heavy wave of Russian attacks
22:00 , Alex CroftRussia has unleashed a massive wave of attacks on Ukraine's railways since the summer using long-range drones, but the rail network is holding up for now, the chief of the state railway company has told Reuters news agency.
"Their first aim is to sow panic among passengers, their second aim is to hit the overall economy," Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said in an interview held in a rail carriage at Kyiv's central station.
There did not appear to be a particular focus on targeting military cargo. "These are all, in essence, strikes on civilian infrastructure," he said.
Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s state-owned railway company, employs 170,000 people and has been the target of Russian attacks since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022 but attacks have intensified, causing regular delays.
Mr Pertsovskyi said the railway is recovering from each blow for now.
The immediate disruption to trains after an attack usually lasts six to 12 hours and electric locomotives are switched out for diesel while power is restored.
"It's a marathon... They strike us, we recover," he said. "They strike us, we recover."
Zelensky says Trump's latest comments signal 'big shift'
21:59 , Tom WatlingUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed Donald Trump’s latest comments appearing to back Kyiv’s hopes of reclaiming the entire mainland from Russian occupation as a “big shift”.
Speaking to Sky News after a meeting with Trump, Zelensky referred to the US president’s latest post on Truth Social, saying “this post of Trump is a big shift”.
He added that though the details of further security guarantees remain unclear, it was “ good that we will work on some types of it and some types of drones and some types of weapons that we need for security guarantees”.
Earlier, he told the United Nations Security Council that he and Trump “spoke about how to finally bring peace and we discussed a few good ideas and I hope they will work”.
He added: “We expect America to push Russia towards peace. Moscow fears America and always pays attention to it.”
Moscow claims control over village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region
21:02 , Alex CroftReuters news agency is reporting that Moscow has claimed another village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that its forces have captured the small settlement of Pereizne, according to the Russia’s RIA news agency.
Although The Independent could not independently verify the report, authoritative Ukrainian online battlefield map DeepState shows Russian forces as being very close to seizing the village.
Trump wishes both Russia and Ukraine well
20:59 , Jane DaltonIn a bizarre rant, Donald Trump both slated Vladimir Putin’s regime as a “paper tiger” and at the same time wished both Russia and Ukraine well.
The US president wrote: “Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like “a paper tiger”...
“Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act. In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!”
Trump reverses stance on territory, saying Kyiv can win it back
20:39 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump has said Ukraine can win back all territory it has lost to Russia - a dramatic shift from the American leader's previous call on Kyiv to make concessions.
Soon after meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Mr Trump wrote on TruthSocial: "I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.
“With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option."
What do Russia's drone incursions mean for airspace safety?
20:01 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussia has been accused of multiple incursions into foreign airspaces, most notably Estonia and Poland, over the last two weeks.
While the incursions were generally not understood to constitute a military threat, they have raised concern across Europe and, in some cases, resulted in disruption to civilian flights.
Speaking to The Independent, Matthew Borie, chief intelligence officer and co-founder at Osprey Flight Solutions, said the aviation industry would be watching developments closely.
“On 20 plus occasions during 2025, fighter jets have been scrambled to the Ukrainian border by Poland as a precaution,” he said.
“So while the instance in Poland on 10 September was unprecedented due to the shootdowns and the fact that the number of drones and potentially cruise missiles was the largest ever, plus the airport disruption hadn’t occurred before, it has been building up towards this gradually over the last several years.
“Nato, now that this is the first time they are using kinetic air defences, is going to be tested in civil military deconfliction in a way they haven’t had to deal with before,” he continued.
“But if airlines don’t do thorough and robust risk assessments and governments don’t engage in proactive civil military mitigation efforts, that’s when you can have a catastrophic event occur.
“So airlines and governments and militaries need to work together to safely operate under these kinds of conditions.”
Trump sits down with Zelensky
19:08 , Tom WatlingDonald Trump has sat down with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly for a bilateral talk.
When asked by a journalist whether he still trusts Putin, the U.S. President said he would reveal the answer in a month. pic.twitter.com/FoClbtdbOs
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) September 23, 2025
Russia 'choosing escalation and provocation,' French representative tells UN security council
19:00 , Alex CroftThe UN security council is now meeting over Russia’s incursion into Estonian airspace.
“This is an intentional violation,” the French representative told the council. “This is the third time in 10 days that Russia has violated the airspace of EU and Nato.
“This latest incursion leaves no room for doubt - Russia is choosing escalation and provocation.”
International rules of war being 'violated' in Ukraine, top aid chief warns
18:29 , Alex CroftThe rules of war are being “violated” in conflicts around the world including Ukraine, the boss of a leading humanitarian aid organisation has warned.
Speaking ahead of the UN General Assembly, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross said states have a “moral and legal responsibility” to ensure the rules of war are followed.
“In the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, thousands of families are without any news of their missing relatives, while drone warfare is killing and injuring civilians hundreds of kilometres from the front lines,” Mirjana Spoljaric said.
“The rules of war are one of our most powerful tools in the fight for human life, safety, dignity and ultimately peace. Failure to respect those rules betrays the foundations of humanity they were designed to protect.
“By upholding IHL, states protect their own people. Violating or letting others violate them fuels instability.
“Every state has a moral and legal responsibility to reverse the erosion of those rules worldwide. The fate of millions living through war today and tomorrow will be defined by the choices leaders make to preserve—or abandon—humanity in war.”
Russia suffering fuel shortages following Ukrainian attacks
17:32 , Alex CroftRussia is seeing shortages of certain fuel grades as Ukrainian drone attacks reduce refinery runs, trade and retailers said according to Reuters news agency.
High borrowing costs also mean private filling stations can't afford to stockpile fuel, they said.
Kyiv’s forces have ramped up drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent weeks, striking refineries and export terminals in attempts to reduce Moscow's export revenues, stir domestic discontent and push the Kremlin to peace talks.
The attacks have reduced Russian oil refining by almost a fifth on certain days and cut exports from key ports, pushing Moscow close to reducing its oil production.
Russia has a big surplus of diesel but its gasoline production matches domestic demand, meaning the drop in refining runs could lead to shortages.
There are no large queues at the pumping stations, but certain grades of gasoline, such as popular Ai 92 and Ai 95, are frequently absent.
Zelensky arrives in New York for ‘intense’ week of meetings with Trump and world leaders
17:01 , Alex CroftPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in New York to meet US President Donald Trump ahead of the UN General Assembly summit, which commences today.
His arrival follows Russian missile attacks in Odesa overnight, while 33 Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow were downed on Monday and Tuesday.
The Ukrainian leader was joined by First Lady Olena Zelenska and is expected to address the gathering of nations on Wednesday as part of a week of “intense” meetings to appeal for a ceasefire and call for sanctions against Russia.
Our reporter Maira Butt reports on a critical week ahead for the Ukrainian president:
Zelensky vows to make Ukraine stronger as he arrives in New York to meet Trump
Hungary will not stop buying Russian oil despite Trump's demands - foreign minister
16:29 , Alex CroftHungary will not stop using Russian energy supplies, the country’s foreign minister has said, as a diplomatic row between Budapest and Kyiv continues.
The refusal also comes despite Donald Trump’s demands that European countries halt all imports of Russian oil, making news sanctions on Moscow conditional on Nato disconnecting from Russia’s energy supplies.
“We can’t ensure the safe supply [of energy resources] for our country without Russian oil or gas sources,” Péter Szijjártó told The Guardian on the sidelines of the 80th annual session of the UN general assembly.
MOL Group, Hungary’s state-owned energy company, imports around 5 million tonnes of oil through the Druzhba pipeline each year, supplying to refineries in Hungary and Slovakia.
“For us, energy supplies are a purely physical question. It can be nice to dream about buying oil and gas from somewhere… but we can only buy from where we have infrastructure,” Mr Szijjártó added.
“And if you look at the physical infrastructure, it’s obvious that without the Russian supplies, it is impossible to ensure the safe supply of the country.”
Trump threatens 'strong, powerful tariffs' on Moscow
16:28 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has issued a sharp threat of “powerful tariffs” to Moscow.
The threat came as the US president hit out at European countries who are still buying oil from Russia.
Trump told the UN General Assembly that the US is “fully prepared to impose a strong round of powerful tariffs”.
“In the event that Russia isn’t ready to make a deal then the United States is fully prepared to impose a strong round of powerful tariffs which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly.”
But he said European countries would need to issue the same tariffs for them to work effectively.
Putin proposal signals change of policy
16:05 , Alex CroftRussian leader Vladimir Putin said his proposal on extending the nuclear arms limitation deal was in the interests of global non-proliferation and could help spur dialogue with Washington about arms control.
"This measure will only be viable if the United States acts in a similar manner, and does not take steps that undermine or violate the existing balance of deterrence capabilities," Putin said.
The proposal appears to be a unilateral change of policy by Moscow, which has until now insisted it would engage with Washington on such matters only if overall ties - hampered by stark differences over the war in Ukraine - improved.
Trump slams 'embarrassing' European countries still buying oil from Russia
15:46 , Alex CroftTrump has now hit out at the “embarrassing” European Nato-member countries who are continuing to buy Russian oil despite Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil, but inexcusably even Nato countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products,” he told delegates at the United Nations General Assembly.
“Think of it, they’re funding the war against themselves. Who the hell ever heard of that one?”
He said the US is “fully prepared to impose a strong round of powerful tariffs”, but that for them to be effective, Europe would have to adopt the same tariffs.
“In the event that Russia isn’t ready to make a deal then the United States is fully prepared to impose a strong round of powerful tariffs which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly.
“[European countries] can’t be doing what they’re doing. They’re buying oil and gas from Russia while they’re fighting Russia. It’s embarrassing to them, and it was very embarrassing to them when I found out about it, I can tell you that.
“They have to immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia, otherwise I’m wasting a lot of time.”
He demanded that European countries cease all energy purchases from Russia and said US representatives will be speaking with European countries about the subject on the fringes of the UN assembly.
As the UK talks up its global vision in New York, Trump abandons the UN
15:40 , Alex CroftEvery year the United Nations General Assembly gathers for high-level talks, and high-minded proclamations, full of sound and fury signifying - not very much.
As the British delegation arrived in New York, there was a desperate attempt to save the international talking shop from being drowned by the national self-interest of America at this year’s gathering at the UN’s headquarters.
On her arrival Yvette Cooper, the new UK foreign secretary, laid out the British principles for the future.
“At this moment of intense global instability and conflict, UK diplomacy and leadership has never been more important. Innocent civilians are suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan,” she said.
Over the coming week, the UN plenary sessions will be used, no doubt, by Trump to advance his claims to have earned several Nobel Peace Prizes for his (unsuccessful) attempts to bring peace to seven conflicts, by his count.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, will try to slap away efforts by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday to call for UN support to condemn Russia and demand a ceasefire.
Trump’s administration is unlikely to make good on threats to increase sanctions against the Kremlin and may even duck outright support for Kyiv.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports from New York:
As the UK talks up its global vision in New York, Trump abandons the UN
Trump fires shot at Putin for his 'bad leadership' in UN speech
15:35 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has now begun talking about Ukraine in his speech at the UN general assembly today.
He has taken the chance to fire a shot at Russian president Vladimir Putin for what he described as his “bad leadership”.
“It was supposed to be a quick little skirmish, it’s not making Russia look good, it’s making them look bad,” Trump told world leaders.
“It shows you what leadership is, what bad leadership can do to a country. The only question now is how many lives will be needlessly lost on both sides,” he added claiming that Russian forces have been killing between 5,000 to 7,000 young soldiers “on both sides every single week”.
Russia systematically tortured Ukrainian civilians in over 100 detention centres - UN
15:14 , Alex CroftRussia has systematically tortured Ukrainian civilians in over 100 detention centres in Russia and occupied Ukraine since the start of the war, the UN human rights office said on Tuesday.
Its report detailed cases of mock executions, electric shocks and the use of prolonged stress positions on Ukrainian citizens for non-criminal acts, such as criticising Russia's invasion, which it said had proved fatal in some cases.
"It's widespread and systematic torture. It was documented in every region of occupied territory, as well as dozens of regions inside the Russian Federation," Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, told a Geneva press briefing, presenting the 22-page report.
Ukraine says some 15,000 civilians have been detained by Russia since 2022 of whom at least 1,800 remain in detention. Bell said her office had confirmed at least 400 ongoing detentions, with the real scale probably much greater.
Russia recruiting nearly 8,000 troops per week - ISW
15:02 , Alex CroftThe Russian are recruiting an average of nearly 8,000 new people each week, the Institute for the Study of War has said in its daily assessment.
Between the start of 2025 and 15 September, an average of 7,900 recruits per week or 31,600 per month have signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence, an insider source told the ISW.
After the number of Russia’s troop losses began to significantly decrease in summer this year, the military may have assessed that it can afford to create a strategic reserve, the think tank reported.
Nato condemns 'increasingly irresponsible Russian behaviour' after Europe incursions
14:38 , Alex CroftNato’s North Atlantic Council strongly condemned Russia’s incursion into Estonian air space, describing it as part of a “wider pattern of increasingly irresponsible Russian behaviour”.
The alliance demanded that the Russian incursions stop, and said Moscow bore full responsibility for its recent actions “which are escalatory, risk miscalculation and endanger lives”.
Russia should not be in doubt, the alliance added, that Nato will deploy all necessary military and non-military tools to defend itself.
Poland to reopen border with Belarus after major Russia-led military exercise
14:11 , Alex CroftBorder crossings between Poland and Belarus will be reopened on midnight from Wednesday to Thursday, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.
Poland closed its border with Belarus this month as a result of Russia-led military exercises taking place in Belarus.
Nato alliance and European Union member Poland's concerns about the "Zapad" (West) war games were reinforced when some 21 Russian drones entered its airspace on the night of September 9-10.
"The conclusion of these exercises reduces - although I can't say eliminates - various threats, and taking into account the economic interests of Polish carriers and railways, we concluded that this measure has served its purpose," Tusk told the government.
"If tensions increase, we will not hesitate and we will make appropriate decisions."
Trump preparing to lay out 'vision for the world' at UN summit
13:49 , Alex CroftDonald Trump is preparing to lay out his “vision for the world” in his address at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, the White House has said.
He will take aim at “globalist institutions” and discuss as he touts the “renewal of American strength around the world”, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
It is unclear how much, if at all, the US president will discuss the war in Ukraine, given his failure thus far to push Kyiv and Moscow into signing a peace deal - something he claimed before his presidency he would achieve rapidly.
We’ll bring you any key lines from Trump and other world leaders speaking in New York today.
Ukraine strikes Russian oil sites, military says
13:40 , Alex CroftUkrainian forces struck two Russian oil distribution facilities in the Bryansk and Samara regions overnight, Kyiv's general staff said on Tuesday.
In Samara, the military hit a line production station that mixes Russian oil for its flagship Urals oil grade for export, the general staff said on Telegram.
In Bryansk, it hit a line production station of a pipeline critical for Russian army supplies, it said.
"The extent of the damage is being determined," it added.
Ukraine has in recent weeks renewed its campaign of long-range drone attacks on Russian oil production sites, systematically targeting key facilities to try to reduce Moscow's export revenues and frontline supplies.
The Russian defence ministry said on Telegram that its units destroyed Ukrainian drones over Bryansk and Samara. There was no immediate comment from Russia issued publicly.
Kyiv's troops also hit a military airfield in Russia-occupied Crimea, Ukraine's general staff said, adding that two planes were hit.
Rutte says Russian incursions either intentional or 'blatant incompetence'
13:27 , Alex CroftMark Rutte, Nato’s secretary general, has been speaking to reporters about Russia’s repeated incursions into Nato territory.
Either they were intentional, or they were an example of “blatant incompetence”, Mr Rutte said.
But he says Nato had not immediately assessed a threat when Nato jets escorted Russian jets out of Estonian airspace last week.
"We will always assess the danger, whether it is a direct threat to our overall defence, our posture and (...) we will always act accordingly, but in this case there was no immediate threat assessed," he said during a news conference, referring to Estonia.
Ukraine faces a shortage of soldiers. The army is using robots to help
13:10 , Alex CroftAmidst a battlefield saturated with deadly Russian drones, Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly deploying agile, remote-controlled armoured vehicles to undertake critical tasks and safeguard personnel from hazardous operations.
The Ukrainian army is particularly keen to utilise these "robots on wheels," which resemble miniature tanks, as it grapples with a soldier shortage in a conflict now spanning over three and a half years. These versatile machines are capable of ferrying essential supplies, clearing dangerous mines, and evacuating both the wounded and the deceased.
Read more here:
Ukraine faces a shortage of soldiers. The army is using robots to help
Use Ukraine's counter drone expertise to protect Nato's borders, says Lithuania
12:51 , Alex CroftLithuania has called for Ukraine’s wartime military experience of downing Russian drones to be integrated into Nato’s plans for a “drone wall”.
“We have big holes in our EU defence. We lack the right equipment that would allow us to detect drones, to follow them, to track them, and then to destroy them. We lack it," Lithuanian foreign minister Kestutis Budrys told Reuters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Budrys said Ukraine was fighting back drones every night and had the integrated systems to counter drones.
The EU is looking at how to create a "drone wall" along the EU's eastern border – a project infused with urgency by a Russian drone incursion into Poland.
“We have to bring this technology to the front line and to build it there, build it there so that it will be effective together with Ukrainians," Budrys said.
Speaking on Russian incursions into Nato airspace, Budrys said Moscow was using the alliance's hesitations and debate on how to respond to expand the grey zone around the conflict.
“We have to also very clearly articulate and show to Russia that further escalation from their side will bring a harsher response," he said.
Analysts and officials said the incursion exposed gaps in Europe's and Nato's ability to protect against drones, although Polish and Nato forces shot down several of them, albeit using expensive air defence systems and warplanes.
Watch: Ukraine braces for new test as Russia steps up drive to seize Donetsk’s fortress belt
12:33 , Alex CroftBulletin | Russian jets in foreign airspace dubbed ‘threat to global peace and security’
12:17 , Alex CroftRussia’s incursion into Estonian airspace was condemned as “reckless” and “provocative” by senior world leaders on Monday as the UN Security Council gathered in New York for an emergency meeting.
The urgent session was called after multiple incursions by Moscow into European airspace, including the entry of Russian fighter jets over Estonia for 12 minutes on Friday.
Representatives slammed Russia for “choosing escalation and provocation” in what they deemed a “threat to global peace and security”.
Here is all you need to know in just five bullet points:
Russia’s ‘reckless’ aggression over Estonia condemned by UN Security Council
Nato conducts 'surveillance missions' over eastern flank
12:06 , Alex CroftNato fighter jets are conducting “surveillance missions” over its eastern flank after a series of airspace incursions by Russian jets.
In a post on X, the military alliance said it was conducting the mission to “boost Nato’s vigilance”.
Russia has denied allegations it flew into Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes on Friday.
✈️ @NATOAWACS aircraft are conducting surveillance missions over the eastern part of the Alliance to boost NATO’s vigilance.
— NATO (@NATO) September 22, 2025
AWACS have a total surveillance area of 312,000 km², making them a key early warning capability for NATO’s new Eastern Sentry activity pic.twitter.com/lDDnc2ablg
Explained: What happened at Copenhagen Airport overnight?
12:00 , Alex CroftConcerns have been raised over the possibility of another Russian violation of Nato airspace, after drone sightings forced the shutdown of two major Scandinavian airports on Monday night.
At around 8:46pm local time (7:46pm UK time), Copenhagen Airport announced it was closed for takeoffs and landings after “two to three larger drones” were seen flying in the area.
A spokesperson afterwards told Reuters news agency that all air traffic at the airport had been suspended, without giving further details. According to FlightRadar, at least 15 flights were diverted to other airports, The Kyiv Independent reported.
At 9:10pm (8:10pm UK time), Oslo police announced that two foreign nationals had been arrested for flying drones within the prohibited zone near Oslo Airport.
Copenhagen Airport resumed operations shortly after midnight local time, with flights resuming in Oslo after around four hours of restricted air space.
On Tuesday morning, Danish police warned that a “capable operator” was behind the drone flights.
"It's an actor who has the capabilities, the will and the tools to show off in this way," Chief Superintendent Jens Jespersen said.
And now, prime minister Mette Frederiksen has openly stated that Russia may have been behind what she described as a “serious attack on critical Danish infrastructure”.
Copenhagen Airport shut down after drone sightings - pictures
11:47 , Alex Croft
Danish PM doesn't rule out Russian involvement after drone sightings shut Copenhagen airport
11:17 , Alex CroftDanish prime minister Mett Frederiksen has refused to rule out Russian involvement after Copenhagen Airport was shut down due to drone sightings on Monday evening.
"I cannot rule out that it is Russia. We have seen drones over Poland that should not have been there. We have seen activity in Romania. We have seen violations of Estonian airspace," Ms Frederiksen said.
"Therefore, I can only say that, in my view, this is a serious attack on critical Danish infrastructure."
Airports in Copenhagen and Oslo shut down for hours after drones were spotted in their airspace late on Monday, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded.
Danish police Chief Superintendent Jens Jespersen said on Tuesday that the drones were driven by a “capable operator”, with the drones flown by an “actor who has the capabilities, the will and the tools to show off in this way”.
He did not confirm whether the incidents in Denmark and Norway were linked.
Danish police also did not comment on an X post by Volodymyr Zelensky which claimed Russia was behind the airspace violation without providing evidence. Mr Zelensky appears to have taken the post down.
In pictures: Zelensky's intense round of diplomacy begins
10:49 , Alex Croft
Moscow claims control over village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region
10:31 , Alex CroftReuters news agency is reporting that Moscow has claimed another village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that its forces have captured the small settlement of Pereizne, according to the Russia’s RIA news agency.
Although The Independent could not independently verify the report, authoritative Ukrainian online battlefield map DeepState shows Russian forces as being very close to seizing the village.
Russia suffering fuel shortages following Ukrainian attacks
10:07 , Alex CroftRussia is seeing shortages of certain fuel grades as Ukrainian drone attacks reduce refinery runs, trade and retailers said according to Reuters news agency.
High borrowing costs also mean private filling stations can't afford to stockpile fuel, they said.
Kyiv’s forces have ramped up drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent weeks, striking refineries and export terminals in attempts to reduce Moscow's export revenues, stir domestic discontent and push the Kremlin to peace talks.
The attacks have reduced Russian oil refining by almost a fifth on certain days and cut exports from key ports, pushing Moscow close to reducing its oil production.
Russia has a big surplus of diesel but its gasoline production matches domestic demand, meaning the drop in refining runs could lead to shortages.
There are no large queues at the pumping stations, but certain grades of gasoline, such as popular Ai 92 and Ai 95, are frequently absent.
Zelensky meets Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg
09:46 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has met with Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg on the fringes of the UN general assembly on Monday evening.
“I briefed him on the situation at the front and the results of the counteroffensive operation near Dobropillia and Pokrovsk.
“We also touched on the development of cooperation between Ukraine and the United States, including mutually beneficial agreements on drones and on the procurement of American weapons that Ukraine has proposed to the United States.”
He added: “I am grateful to Keith Kellogg for his support and assistance, and to U.S. President Donald Trump for his efforts to bring the war to an end and stop the killings.”
I held a meeting with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy, @generalkellogg.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 23, 2025
I briefed him on the situation at the front and the results of the counteroffensive operation near Dobropillia and Pokrovsk. We also touched on the development of cooperation between Ukraine and the United… pic.twitter.com/CjW4fAdSLC
Zelensky arrives in New York for ‘intense’ week of meetings with Trump and world leaders
09:29 , Alex CroftPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in New York to meet US President Donald Trump ahead of the UN General Assembly summit, which commences today.
His arrival follows Russian missile attacks in Odesa overnight, while 33 Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow were downed on Monday and Tuesday.
The Ukrainian leader was joined by First Lady Olena Zelenska and is expected to address the gathering of nations on Wednesday as part of a week of “intense” meetings to appeal for a ceasefire and call for sanctions against Russia.
Our reporter Maira Butt reports on a critical week ahead for the Ukrainian president:
Zelensky vows to make Ukraine stronger as he arrives in New York to meet Trump
Hungary will not stop buying Russian oil despite Trump's demands - foreign minister
09:13 , Alex CroftHungary will not stop using Russian energy supplies, the country’s foreign minister has said, as a diplomatic row between Budapest and Kyiv continues.
The refusal also comes despite Donald Trump’s demands that European countries halt all imports of Russian oil, making news sanctions on Moscow conditional on Nato disconnecting from Russia’s energy supplies.
“We can’t ensure the safe supply [of energy resources] for our country without Russian oil or gas sources,” Péter Szijjártó told The Guardian on the sidelines of the 80th annual session of the UN general assembly.
MOL Group, Hungary’s state-owned energy company, imports around 5 million tonnes of oil through the Druzhba pipeline each year, supplying to refineries in Hungary and Slovakia.
“For us, energy supplies are a purely physical question. It can be nice to dream about buying oil and gas from somewhere… but we can only buy from where we have infrastructure,” Mr Szijjártó added.
“And if you look at the physical infrastructure, it’s obvious that without the Russian supplies, it is impossible to ensure the safe supply of the country.”
Watch: Trump says US would defend Poland if Russia attacks
09:03 , Alex CroftPutin appoints cousin's daughter 'to expose Kremlin disloyalty' - report
08:38 , Alex CroftIn the latest Kremlin reshuffle, Vladimir Putin has appointed his cousin’s daughter, Anna Tsivileva (née Putina), as a deputy defence minister with her husband as energy minister.
Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence service now believes that Tsivileva’s installment is an effort to keep tabs on the Russian officials responsible for prosecuting his war on Ukraine, it said in an intelligence assessment shared with The Times.
Authors of the report believe she has been asked to report disloyalty and corruption in the defence ministry directly to Putin - and believe that her spying has led to arrests by Russia’s FSB security agency.
“Putin has formed several groups of relatives in government and Anna heads one of these groups. Tsivileva’s task is to adapt the economy for the Ministry of Defence, reduce corruption and abuse, and find the culprits,” an HUR section commander said in the report.
Why is a functioning rail network so important for Ukraine?
08:27 , Alex CroftAs the country faces nightly Russian air attacks, the rail network has become a crucial replacement for air transport since Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The railway network has been a lifeline for those moving around Ukraine and out of the country, after all civilian flights were grounded.
World leaders and politicians have arrived into wartime Ukraine by train, including former US president Joe Biden, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and French president Emmanuel Macron.
The rail company's popular sleeper carriages are seen as a reliable way to travel overnight and arrive early in the morning in cities many hundreds of miles away.
But the recent intensification of Russian attacks has increased delays for passengers by several hours.
The railway is also crucial for transporting military equipment and commercial cargo, although volumes of the latter have dropped significantly in wartime.
Ukrainian rail network surviving amid heavy wave of Russian attacks
08:13 , Alex CroftRussia has unleashed a massive wave of attacks on Ukraine's railways since the summer using long-range drones, but the rail network is holding up for now, the chief of the state railway company has told Reuters news agency.
"Their first aim is to sow panic among passengers, their second aim is to hit the overall economy," Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said in an interview held in a rail carriage at Kyiv's central station.
There did not appear to be a particular focus on targeting military cargo. "These are all, in essence, strikes on civilian infrastructure," he said.
Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s state-owned railway company, employs 170,000 people and has been the target of Russian attacks since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022 but attacks have intensified, causing regular delays.
Mr Pertsovskyi said the railway is recovering from each blow for now.
The immediate disruption to trains after an attack usually lasts six to 12 hours and electric locomotives are switched out for diesel while power is restored.
"It's a marathon... They strike us, we recover," he said. "They strike us, we recover."
Russian defences down dozens of Ukrainian drones headed Moscow
08:07 , Alex CroftRussian air defences downed 33 Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow, officials have said.
Dozens of drones aimed at Russian-occupied Crimea and other areas of western Russia were also destroyed in the huge overnight air attack.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said drones were destroyed en route to the capital city over a period of 12 hours, with experts examining debris on the ground.
Flights were delayed and cancelled at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, Russia's largest by passenger numbers. Russian national carrier, Aeroflot, said it planned to fully resume normal operations at the airport by the end of Tuesday. R
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Telegram that its anti-aircraft units had destroyed 81 Ukrainian drones, by midnight local time (10pm BST) and another 69 between midnight and 0700 local time (5am BST).
What Zelensky aims to extract from his visit to the US
07:34 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has landed in New York and he is likely to ask Donald Trump for new US sanctions on Russia today, a day before addressing the UN General Assembly.
The Ukrainian leader will seek more support from allies when he addresses the UN and meets Trump this week, but behind the scenes Kyiv is quietly preparing for a new phase of the war in which it relies more on itself.
Kyiv has also been promoting plans for a summit dedicated to Ukraine's Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula, an event that appears designed to push back against discussion of any peace deal involving Crimea being recognised as Russian territory.
Ukrainian officials portrayed their work before Zelensky's arrival on Monday as pragmatic diplomacy rather than preparations for a make-or-break trip.
"New York is the platform every September. It's a super important place to be," first deputy foreign minister Sergiy Kyslytsya said.
"I wish it were more expedient, but you will never have easy solutions to the conflicts of this magnitude. So I think that we will not come back from New York, all of us, with easy solutions. And we will continue to work hard after New York."
Putin says more than 700,000 Russian soldiers are now deployed on the front line in Ukraine, and Russia occupies roughly 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory.
Moscow is demanding all of that territory, and more, before it considers talks to end its war in Ukraine, which has been a point of strong dislike for most Ukrainians.
Together with the First Lady of Ukraine @ZelenskaUA and our team, we have arrived in New York to take part in the UN General Assembly, the first leaders’ summit of our Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, and the annual Crimea Platform Summit, which in 2025, for the… pic.twitter.com/xEobCrAgFC
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 22, 2025
Foreign secretary warns UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato airspace
07:14 , Arpan RaiForeign secretary Yvette Cooper addressed her remarks at the UN Security Council yesterday directly to Russian president Vladimir Putin, warning him over his “reckless actions” and promising the UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato airspace.
Here’s an excerpt from her speech at the council:
“To President Putin, I say: your reckless actions risk a direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia. Our Alliance is defensive.
“Be under no illusion.
“We stand ready to take all steps necessary to defend Nato’s skies and Nato’s territory. We are vigilant. We are resolute.
“And if we need to confront planes that are operating in Nato airspace without permission then we will do so.
“The United Kingdom stands by our friends,” the foreign secretary said.
She also said the Russian drones violating Polish, Romanian and Estonian airspaces “risk miscalculation”.
“At worst, they are a deliberate attempt to undermine the territorial integrity of sovereign nations and European security. They risk miscalculation,” she said.
“They open the door to direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia,” the foreign secretary said.
As the UK talks up its global vision in New York, Trump abandons the UN
06:50 , Arpan RaiEvery year the United Nations General Assembly gathers for high-level talks, and high-minded proclamations, full of sound and fury signifying - not very much.
As the British delegation arrived in New York, there was a desperate attempt to save the international talking shop from being drowned by the national self-interest of America at this year’s gathering at the UN’s headquarters.
On her arrival Yvette Cooper, the new UK foreign secretary, laid out the British principles for the future.
“At this moment of intense global instability and conflict, UK diplomacy and leadership has never been more important. Innocent civilians are suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan,” she said.
Over the coming week, the UN plenary sessions will be used, no doubt, by Trump to advance his claims to have earned several Nobel Peace Prizes for his (unsuccessful) attempts to bring peace to seven conflicts, by his count.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, will try to slap away efforts by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday to call for UN support to condemn Russia and demand a ceasefire.
Trump’s administration is unlikely to make good on threats to increase sanctions against the Kremlin and may even duck outright support for Kyiv.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports from New York:
As the UK talks up its global vision in New York, Trump abandons the UN
Russia’s ‘reckless’ aggression over Estonian airspace condemned by leaders at UNSC
06:28 , Arpan RaiRussia’s incursion into Estonian airspace was condemned as “reckless” and “provocative” by senior world leaders on Monday as the UN Security Council gathered in New York for an emergency meeting.
The urgent session was called after multiple incursions by Moscow into European airspace, including the entry of Russian fighter jets over Estonia for 12 minutes on Friday.
Representatives slammed Russia for “choosing escalation and provocation” in what they deemed a “threat to global peace and security”.
Moscow strongly refuted the allegations, claiming they had been portrayed as an enemy with “no facts or evidence” and that Europe was “letting its imagination run wild in relation to the threat from Russia”.
But foreign secretary Yvette Cooper warned Russia that its incursions into Nato territory risked a direct armed conflict and that the alliance would be ready to confront warplanes entering Nato airspace.
Russia’s ‘reckless’ aggression over Estonia condemned by UN Security Council
Zelensky reaches New York ahead of UN General Assembly
06:14 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky and the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska have landed in New York ahead of their meeting with Donald Trump and attending the UN General Assembly.
“Together with the First Lady of Ukraine @ZelenskaUA and our team, we have arrived in New York to take part in the UN General Assembly, the first leaders’ summit of our Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, and the annual Crimea Platform Summit, which in 2025, for the first time, will be held on a global stage – underlining the global nature of the changes brought about by this war, the war that Russia began in Crimea,” the Ukrainian president said.
“Nearly two dozen meetings are scheduled. Ahead of us are several very intense days. Ukraine must become stronger. I thank everyone who is helping,” he said on X, sharing a video of his arrival in New York.
Together with the First Lady of Ukraine @ZelenskaUA and our team, we have arrived in New York to take part in the UN General Assembly, the first leaders’ summit of our Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, and the annual Crimea Platform Summit, which in 2025, for the… pic.twitter.com/xEobCrAgFC
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 22, 2025
Ukraine faces a shortage of soldiers. The army is using robots to help
06:02 , Arpan RaiAmidst a battlefield saturated with deadly Russian drones, Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly deploying agile, remote-controlled armoured vehicles to undertake critical tasks and safeguard personnel from hazardous operations.
The Ukrainian army is particularly keen to utilise these "robots on wheels," which resemble miniature tanks, as it grapples with a soldier shortage in a conflict now spanning over three and a half years. These versatile machines are capable of ferrying essential supplies, clearing dangerous mines, and evacuating both the wounded and the deceased.
“It cannot fully replace people,” said the commander of a platoon of the 20th Lyubart Brigade who goes by the call sign Miami and spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military rules.
“I would put it this way: A person can go in there, but for a human it’s (sometimes) far too dangerous.”
Ukraine faces a shortage of soldiers. The army is using robots to help
Putin offers one-year extension to nuclear arms limit
05:52 , Arpan RaiVladimir Putin has offered to maintain the limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons set in the 2010 New Start Treaty after it expires in February, if the US agrees to do the same.
The treaty caps the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads for Russia and the US at 1,550 and the number of delivery vehicles - missiles, submarines and bombers - at 700 on each side.
The agreement is the last US-Russia strategic nuclear arms control accord. It allowed for only one five-year extension, which Putin and former US president Joe Biden agreed to implement in 2021.
“Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the central numerical limits under the New Start Treaty for one year after 5 February, 2026," he said.
"Subsequently, based on an analysis of the situation, we will make a decision on whether to maintain these voluntary, self-imposed restrictions,” the Russian president said.
The offer, which comes as Ukraine tries to convince Trump to impose harsher sanctions on Russia, was made public by Putin at a meeting of his Security Council.
Washington has welcomed Putin’s suggestion.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Putin's proposal sounded "pretty good," but she added that president Trump would address the offer himself.
Use Ukraine's counter drone expertise to protect Nato's borders, says Lithuania
05:36 , Arpan RaiLithuania has called for Ukraine’s wartime military experience of downing Russian drones to be integrated into Nato’s plans for a “drone wall”.
“We have big holes in our EU defence. We lack the right equipment that would allow us to detect drones, to follow them, to track them, and then to destroy them. We lack it," Lithuanian foreign minister Kestutis Budrys told Reuters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Budrys said Ukraine was fighting back drones every night and had the integrated systems to counter drones.
The EU is looking at how to create a "drone wall" along the EU's eastern border – a project infused with urgency by a Russian drone incursion into Poland.
“We have to bring this technology to the front line and to build it there, build it there so that it will be effective together with Ukrainians," Budrys said.
Speaking on Russian incursions into Nato airspace, Budrys said Moscow was using the alliance's hesitations and debate on how to respond to expand the grey zone around the conflict.
“We have to also very clearly articulate and show to Russia that further escalation from their side will bring a harsher response," he said.
Analysts and officials said the incursion exposed gaps in Europe's and Nato's ability to protect against drones, although Polish and Nato forces shot down several of them, albeit using expensive air defence systems and warplanes.
Poland tells Russia: Don't complain if we shoot down one of your planes
05:26 , Arpan RaiPoland has issued a clear threat to Russia over its repeated airspace incursions, saying Moscow should not “whine” if another incident takes place and Nato forces shoot down the offending aircraft or projectile.
“I have only one request to the Russian government. If another missile or aircraft enters our airspace without permission and gets shot down, and the wreckage falls on Nato territory, please don't come here to whine about it. You have been warned,” Poland deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Radek Sikorski said on X.
And the second - a request: pic.twitter.com/APM6XZ5lN0
— Radek Sikorski (@radeksikorski) September 22, 2025
Estonia shares photos of Russian airspace incursions
04:53 , Arpan RaiEstonian officials have shared details of Russia’s airspace incursions from Friday at an emergency meeting called by the UN Security Council.
“Russian fighter jets were warned as they neared Estonian and Nato airspace. Despite the warnings, they crossed the border and remained for 12 minutes, and 100km in. That is a lot,” said Margus Tsahkna, the Estonian foreign affairs minister.
“By doing so, Russia – a permanent member of the UN Security Council – blatantly and recklessly violated Estonia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the UN Charter and international law,” he said.
The Estonian official also showed two photos of Russian fighter jets inside the country’s airspace, mapping the direction where they came from.
“All of them carried missiles and they were combat-ready planes,” the Estonian minister said.
Russian fighter jets were warned as they neared Estonian and @NATO airspace.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) September 22, 2025
Despite the warnings, they crossed the border and remained for 12 minutes.
By doing so, Russia — a permanent member of the @UN Security Council — blatantly and recklessly violated Estonia’s… pic.twitter.com/OTJTrY16D9
Analysis: As US abandons UN, China can move in
04:25 , Jane DaltonAs the UK talks up its global vision in New York, Trump abandons the UN
Foreign secretary warns UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato airspace
04:04 , Arpan RaiForeign secretary Yvette Cooper addressed her remarks at the UN Security Council yesterday directly to Russian president Vladimir Putin, warning him over his “reckless actions” and promising the UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato airspace.
Here’s an excerpt from her speech at the council:
“To President Putin, I say: your reckless actions risk a direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia. Our Alliance is defensive.
“Be under no illusion.
“We stand ready to take all steps necessary to defend Nato’s skies and Nato’s territory. We are vigilant. We are resolute.
“And if we need to confront planes that are operating in Nato airspace without permission then we will do so.
“The United Kingdom stands by our friends,” the foreign secretary said.
She also said the Russian drones violating Polish, Romanian and Estonian airspaces “risk miscalculation”.
“At worst, they are a deliberate attempt to undermine the territorial integrity of sovereign nations and European security. They risk miscalculation,” she said.
“They open the door to direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia,” the foreign secretary said.
Putin proposal signals change of policy
04:03 , Jane DaltonRussian leader Vladimir Putin said his proposal on extending the nuclear arms limitation deal was in the interests of global non-proliferation and could help spur dialogue with Washington about arms control.
"This measure will only be viable if the United States acts in a similar manner, and does not take steps that undermine or violate the existing balance of deterrence capabilities," Putin said.
The proposal appears to be a unilateral change of policy by Moscow, which has until now insisted it would engage with Washington on such matters only if overall ties - hampered by stark differences over the war in Ukraine - improved.
Zelensky says he discussed procurement of weapons with US envoy Kellogg
03:54 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed procurement of weapons from the United States with US envoy Keith Kellogg.
"I briefed him (Kellogg) on the situation at the front and the results of the counteroffensive operation near Dobropillia and Pokrovsk,” Zelensky said on X.
He added: “We also touched on the development of cooperation between Ukraine and the United States, including mutually beneficial agreements on drones and on the procurement of American weapons that Ukraine has proposed to the United States.”
I held a meeting with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy, @generalkellogg.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 23, 2025
I briefed him on the situation at the front and the results of the counteroffensive operation near Dobropillia and Pokrovsk. We also touched on the development of cooperation between Ukraine and the United… pic.twitter.com/CjW4fAdSLC
