Donald Trump has said Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘really let him down’, as he met with his UK counterpart Sir Keir Starmer for talks at Chequers.
“The one that I thought would be easiest would be because of my relationship with President Putin. But he's let me down. He's really let me down,” the US President said, adding that “we’re sending lots of weapons to Nato”.
“Nato is paying for those weapons in full, but we’re sending them.”
The UK prime minister said the two countries are working together to put pressure on Vladimir Putin to get him to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine.
It comes as the Trump administration sends Ukraine its first missiles for Patriot air defence systems and HIMARS rocket launchers under a new Europe-funded scheme.
Volodymyr Zelensky said the first two batches, worth $500m (£366m) each, will “definitely include missiles for Patriot and HIMARS”.
Ukraine is bracing for a heavy autumn offensive from Russia, with Vladimir Putin’s forces accelerating strikes on its shattered energy system, including gas infrastructure.
Key Points
- Trump says Putin has 'really let him down'
- Starmer says US, UK working to pressure Putin to get peace in Ukraine
- Trump sends first Patriot and HIMARS missiles to Ukraine under Europe-funded weapons scheme
- Top Russian general claims Putin's forces are 'advancing in practically all directions'
- King Charles 'very close' to details of Ukraine ceasefire talks
Uzbekistan takes stake in Russia-backed Eurasian Development Bank
17:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree this week on the country's accession to the Eurasian Development Bank, a Russian-backed alternative to the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development.
The decree signed on Tuesday provides for Uzbekistan to pay $168.411 million from its state budget for EDB membership, becoming the bank's seventh member and third largest shareholder, with a stake of 10%.
Zelensky says he visited frontline Donetsk region
16:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that he visited Ukraine's frontline Donetsk region.
Zelenskiy said on X that he had met soldiers taking part in fighting to recapture land near Dobropillia after Russian troops made rapid advances in the area in August.
"Step-by-step, the warriors are liberating our land: since the start of the operation, 160 square kilometres (62 square miles) and seven settlements have been reclaimed," he added.
Explained: What is a no-fly zone? Poland and Ukraine call for protection of European airspace
16:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
In full: Trump says he thought war in Ukraine would be ‘easy to solve’ but Putin ‘really let me down’
15:49
,
Steffie Banatvala
Trump says 'sending lots of weapons to Nato'
15:42
,
Steffie Banatvala
Trump added that they are sending “lots of weapons to Nato”, as he met Sir Keir Starmer for talks at Chequers.
“Nato is paying for those weapons in full, but we’re sending them, and we’re doing a great job at getting them what they need, and we appreciate the fact that they’re taken care of, because the United States is into that war for 350 billion dollars and just really very sad.
“Just got out of control.”
Russia says it will answer Japan's new 'unfriendly' sanctions
15:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Russia's foreign ministry said that Japan's new sanctions against Russia were unfriendly and would not go unanswered.
Japan last week expanded its sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, targeting additional individuals and entities and lowering the price cap on Russian oil.
"Japan's latest unfriendly actions will not go unanswered," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.
"But our response will be well thought out and based on national interests. We will continue to take appropriate countermeasures, including those of an asymmetric nature," Zakharova said.
Starmer says US, UK working to pressure Putin to get peace in Ukraine
15:27
,
Steffie Banatvala
Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK and US are working together to put pressure on Vladimir Putin to get him to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine.
"We have discussed today how we can build our defences, further support Ukraine and decisively increase the pressure on Putin to get him to agree a peace deal that will last," Starmer told reporters.
Trump says Putin has 'really let him down'
15:25
,
Steffie Banatvala
Donald Trump has said Putin ‘really let him down’, as he met Sir Keir Starmer for talks at Chequers.
“The one that I thought would be easiest would be because of my relationship with President Putin. But he's let me down. He's really let me down,” the US President said.
“You thought were going to have an easy time or a hard time and it turns out to be the reverse.”
Russia hands over remains of 1,000 Ukrainian service personnel: Kyiv
15:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Ukraine has received the remains of 1,000 service personnel killed in the war that began with Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion during its latest exchange with Russia, Ukrainian officials said.
More than 7,000 mostly unidentified bodies have been brought to Ukraine in recent months in multiple exchanges, a result of talks between the two sides in Istanbul earlier this year.
In a statement, Kyiv's coordinating council for prisoners of war said officials would work on identifying the bodies.
Ukrainian military in counteroffensive on eastern front: Zelensky
14:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Ukraine's military is carrying out a counteroffensive operation against Russian forces on the eastern front, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Zelensky described fighting as heavy in the area of Dobropillia and Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
"In fact, our forces are depriving the occupier of the opportunity to carry out a full-fledged offensive operation, which they had been planning for a long time and counting on," he said in a video address.
Pictures: Polish forces hold military exercises 'Iron Defender' with NATO soldiers
14:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
ICYMI: Poland kickstarts 'Iron Defender' military exercise
13:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Poland kickstarted its military exercise Iron Defender-25, just days after Russia violated its airspace with a drone incursion.
Deputy polish defence minister Cezary Tomczyk said Poland had been preparing for many months and was holding its own exercises.
More than 30,000 troops from Poland and allied nations will take part in drills across Orzysz, Ustka, Nowa Dęba, the Baltic Sea, airspace, and cyberspace.
Hungary still opposed to phasing out Russian fuels faster than planned
13:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Hungary has not changed position on phasing out Russian fuel, environment minister Aniko Raisz has indicated.
"I think you know our position. We are one of the few landlocked countries in the region. Our position has always been guided by the energy security for Hungary," Raisz told reporters in Brussels when asked if Hungary would support a faster phasing out of Russian fossil fuels or more sanctions on oil and gas.
"We know that we have important, important tasks ahead of us, but let's not daydream," she added.
Watch: Vladimir Putin observes joint military exercise with Belarus
12:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Ukraine says it struck oil refinery in Russia's Volgograd overnight
12:26
,
Steffie Banatvala
Ukraine's military has said it had struck an oil refinery in Russia's Volgograd region overnight.
Ukrainian special forces said the Volgograd oil refinery had halted operations, citing preliminary information in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
Cyber attacks traced to Russia, China cost Germany €300bn over one year: survey
12:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Cyber attacks cost the German economy almost 300 billion euros over the past year, according to a new survey.
The attacks are increasingly launched by foreign intelligence agencies rather than criminals.
Almost half of all companies that could identify the sources of attacks had traced them to Russia and China, while about a quarter traced them to other European Union countries or the United States.
"The trail leads relatively clearly and unambiguously to the east, with two countries at the forefront: Russia and China," said Ralf Wintergerst, Bitkom's head, unveiling the survey of some 1,000 companies. The survey was led by industry group Bitkom.
Trump, UK's Starmer to discuss Ukraine
11:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to focus on foreign affairs when he hosts Trump at his Chequers country residence, hoping to persuade the US leader to take stronger action against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Trump pleased Europe by calling Russia "the aggressor" in the war last weekend but he is also demanding that Europe stop all purchases of Russian oil before he will agree to impose heavier sanctions on Moscow.
Russia gains far more than North Korea in military deal: report
11:26
,
Steffie Banatvala
A new study has found that Russia and North Korea have an uneven military deal, with Russia benefiting much more.
The report, released by German think tank Friedrich Naumann Foundation, says North Korea has sent up to $9.8 billion in weapons and fighters to Russia since 2023.
In return, North Korea may have received between $457 million to $1.19 billion.
The two countries signed a major mutual defence agreement last year, raising concerns in the West.
Pictures: Poland's deputy PM, defence minister visit Kyiv
11:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Two Ukrainian drones attack major Russian petrochemical complex: senior official
10:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Two Ukrainian drones attacked the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil processing and petrochemical complex, one of Russia's largest, in Russia's Bashkortostan region, Radiy Khabirov, the regional head, has said on his Telegram channel.
"We are assessing the extent of the damage. We're currently putting out the fire. All the (emergency) services are on site," he said.
He said there had been no casualties and that the complex's own security forces had opened fire at the drones.
Nato 'failed' in its duty to protect member states, says former chief
09:30
,
Arpan Rai
Nato’s former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander and former British Army general Sir Richard Shirreff told The Independent that Nato had “failed” in its duty to protect member states.
“Last week Russia attacked a Nato country,” said Sir Richard, who is now chair of the Healix Risk and Security Advisory Board. “The whole purpose of Nato is to defend the airspace, land borders and the sea lines of communication. It ultimately does that through effective deterrence. Last week, that failed.”
He believes that the incursion was a “deliberate attack to probe Nato defenses”, adding that if Russia “smells weakness” it will persist in its aggression: “Nato has to respond with real strength.”
He said imposing a no-fly zone is “absolutely” the correct route to take.
In response to concerns of a wider war, he said: “This is an act of war against Russia, but it is in response to an act of war by Russia in a Nato member state. So it is entirely justifiable. In a very real sense, we are already at war with Russia.”
King Charles 'very close' to details of Ukraine ceasefire talks
09:15
,
Arpan Rai
King Charles has not shied away from supporting Ukraine publicly and is now reported to be keeping close tabs on ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
The King is “very close” to the detail of negotiations and to the Ukrainian war-time president Volodymyr Zelensky himself, a senior defence official told Politico on the condition of anonymity.
Last month, the King sent a message of support to Ukraine to mark the country’s independence day as he called for a “just and lasting peace” to end the war triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion of its neighbour.
The King’s sensitivity towards the Ukrainian cause could help soften US president Donald Trump’s stance on backing Ukraine, the Politico report added.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if he took the opportunity privately to encourage the president to support Ukraine more effectively,” a former senior UK diplomat said, referring to conversations during Trump's overnight stay at Windsor Castle.
Top Russian general claims Putin's forces are 'advancing in practically all directions'
08:45
,
Arpan Rai
A senior Russian officer toured positions held by his troops in Ukraine and said Moscow's forces were advancing on all fronts, the Russian defence ministry said.
He said the heaviest fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops was taking place around the logistics centre of Pokrovsk.
General Valery Gerasimov, Russia's chief of staff of the armed forces in what Moscow calls its "special military operation", said Moscow's troops were making progress in the eastern Donetsk region, the conflict's focal point, and further west in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
"Our troops in the zone of the special military operation are advancing in practically all directions," the defence ministry quoted Gerasimov as saying.
"And the heaviest fighting is occurring in the Krasnoarmeisk direction," he added, using the Soviet-era name for the city of Pokrovsk, "where the enemy, by any means and taking no account of losses, is trying unsuccessfully to stop our advances and seize back the initiative.
"The Ukrainian military, he was quoted as saying, "has deployed the best-trained and most capable fighting units, taking them from other areas. And that facilitates the advance of our troops in other sectors."
Gerasimov's statements appeared to be at odds with accounts by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian military officials, however.
Zelensky, interviewed by Sky News this week, said he expected new Russian offensives but added that Moscow's forces had enjoyed little frontline success in their recent activity.
A spokesperson for a Ukrainian unit near Kupiansk yesterday said that an attempted Russian advance on the town had resulted in many of its men being taken prisoner.
Trump sends first Patriot and HIMARS missiles to Ukraine under Europe-funded weapons scheme
08:30
,
Arpan Rai
The Trump administration is sending Ukraine its first missiles for Patriot air defence systems and HIMARS rocket launchers under a new Europe-funded scheme.
Volodymyr Zelensky said the first two batches, worth $500m (£366m) each, will "definitely include missiles for Patriot and HIMARS.
The first batches of equipment funding through PURL were already on their way, Nato's senior representative in Ukraine told Reuters.
"Four packages under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List have already been funded and equipment is already flowing," Patrick Turner said.
Donald Trump has been strongly critical of the billions of dollars the United States has spent on military aid for Ukraine. The PURL initiative offers a way for Europe to pay for the weapons and the US to send them.
Additional packages, each worth about $500m, are working their way through the approval system, sources told Reuters.
The new supplies of critical weapons comes as Ukraine is bracing for a heavy autumn offensive from Russia, with Vladimir Putin’s forces accelerating strikes on its shattered energy system, including gas infrastructure.
Five injured as Russian forces attack railway infrastructure in Ukraine
08:04
,
Arpan Rai
At least five people were injured after Russian forces attacked railway infrastructure in Ukraine's central Poltava region, officials said this morning.
In Myrhorod district, an attack wounded one person and caused fires, regional governor Volodymyr Kohut said.
Ukrainian state railways operator Ukrzaliznytsia said the attack temporarily cut power to several stations and prompted delays of up to three hours for passenger trains. A similar attack had disrupted rail services in the early hours yesterday.
In recent months, Russian forces have pummelled Ukrainian rail infrastructure, including attacks on hubs in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, as well as disruption in the Kirovohrad region.
A late evening drone attack on Poltava region also damaged a fuel station, causing a fire and wounding four more people, according to the emergency services.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 48 of 75 drones launched by Russia and reported 26 drone hits at six locations.
Zelensky says allies 'on same page' about extent of security guarantees needed for Ukraine
07:44
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's allies understand the scale of security guarantees needed for Ukraine after the war stops – adding that the conflict is costing Kyiv's backers $60bn for every year that it continues.
Writing on X, he said: “When we speak about security guarantees for Ukraine, there are several key elements. First, the Ukrainian army. We already agreed on what we need in the sky, at sea, and on the ground. Our partners now understand the scale of these needs, but the important thing is that we are on the same page, and they are ready to deliver.”
He said the strength and size of the Ukrainian army itself requires significant funding and called for financial support from Kyiv’s allies.
“Third, Article 5–like guarantees. We are discussing this with the US, and I believe we will reach bilateral decisions,” Zelensky said, referring to Nato's Article 5 that warns an attack on one member of the alliance will be treated as an attack on all members.
The Ukrainian president called for sanctions and said: “To give an example: the cost of this war today is about $120bn per year. Ukraine covers half from its own budget. The other half – $60bn – must be secured. Plan A is to end the war. Plan B is to secure the cost,” he said.
When we speak about security guarantees for Ukraine, there are several key elements. First, the Ukrainian army. We already agreed on what we need in the sky, at sea, and on the ground. Our partners now understand the scale of these needs, but the important thing is that we are on…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 17, 2025
Russia resumes domestic flights to southern city of Krasnodar for first time in three years
07:26
,
Arpan Rai
Russia has resumed regular domestic passenger flights to the southern city of Krasnodar yesterday.
The key regional airport was closed for more than three years due to security concerns linked to the war in Ukraine.
Russia closed 11 major airports in its southern and western regions, including those in Kursk, Simferopol and Rostov-on-Don, following the start of its military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022.
A fully loaded 183-seat Airbus A321 from Moscow operated by Russian flag carrier Aeroflot landed in the city of over 1.5 million people after a flight of about three and a half hours.
That was about 90 minutes longer than flights before the war, as planes now avoid the airspace near the front line in Ukraine and fly via Volgograd and the Black Sea coast.
Aeroflot said it will operate up to five flights a day from Moscow, as well as services from six other Russian cities, including Saint-Petersburg.
"We didn't believe it could happen," said Maya Tikhomirova, a passenger on Wednesday's flight who regularly travels between Moscow and Krasnodar. "It's the first time in three years we got here so easily."
In photos: France and Poland fly F-16s in military exercise after drone incursion
07:06
,
Arpan Rai
France and Poland flew fighter jets yesterday as part of military exercises dubbed “Eastern Sentry”.
The drills are in response to Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace earlier this week, secretary-general Mark Rutte said.
"We must, as Nato, make clear our resolve and our ability to defend our territory, and that is exactly what Eastern Sentry is designed to do," Rutte told a press conference at Nato headquarters in Brussels last week.
Nato had 'failed' in its duty to protect member states, says former chief
06:40
,
Arpan Rai
Nato’s former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander and former British Army general Sir Richard Shirreff told The Independent that Nato had “failed” in its duty to protect member states.
“Last week Russia attacked a Nato country,” said Sir Richard, who is now chair of the Healix Risk and Security Advisory Board. “The whole purpose of Nato is to defend the airspace, land borders and the sea lines of communication. It ultimately does that through effective deterrence. Last week, that failed.”
He believes that the incursion was a “deliberate attack to probe Nato defenses”, adding that if Russia “smells weakness” it will persist in its aggression: “Nato has to respond with real strength.”
He said imposing a no-fly zone is “absolutely” the correct route to take.
In response to concerns of a wider war, he said: “This is an act of war against Russia, but it is in response to an act of war by Russia in a Nato member state. So it is entirely justifiable. In a very real sense, we are already at war with Russia.”
King Charles 'very close' to details of Ukraine ceasefire talks
06:10
,
Arpan Rai
King Charles has not shied away from supporting Ukraine publicly and is now reported to be keeping close tabs on ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
The King is “very close” to the detail of negotiations and to the Ukrainian war-time president Volodymyr Zelensky himself, a senior defence official told Politico on the condition of anonymity.
Last month, the King sent a message of support to Ukraine to mark the country’s independence day as he called for a “just and lasting peace” to end the war triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion of its neighbour.
The King’s sensitivity towards the Ukrainian cause could help soften US president Donald Trump’s stance on backing Ukraine, the Politico report added.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if he took the opportunity privately to encourage the president to support Ukraine more effectively,” a former senior UK diplomat said, referring to conversations during Trump's overnight stay at Windsor Castle.
Watch: Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia leaves Ukrainian city engulfed by flames
05:54
,
Arpan Rai
One killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia
05:35
,
Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian drone struck a car in Russia's Belgorod border region, killing one person and injuring another, the region's governor said this morning.
Vyacheslav Gladkov said the drone killed a man in his car in the town of Shebekino, just inside the Russian border. The strike seriously injured the man's brother, who was taken to a local hospital.
Ukrainian drone attacks frequently hit targets in Belgorod and other border regions.
What is a no-fly zone? Poland and Ukraine call for protection of European airspace
05:18
,
Arpan Rai
As Russia’s military action in Ukraine encroaches on European airspace, Poland’s foreign minister has raised the prospect of Nato support in patrolling the skies.
On 10 September, Russian drones over Polish airspace prompted Radoslaw Sikorski to invoke Article 4 of Nato’s North Atlantic Treaty, calling for an urgent meeting of member states to discuss what he called Vladimir Putin’s “large-scale provocation”.
Tensions were heightened a few days later when Romania reported similar drone incursions into its airspace, forcing the military to scramble its own fighter jets in response.
Trump sends first Patriot and HIMARS missiles to Ukraine under Europe-funded weapons scheme
04:52
,
Arpan Rai
The Trump administration is sending Ukraine its first missiles for Patriot air defence systems and HIMARS rocket launchers under a new Europe-funded scheme.
Volodymyr Zelensky said the first two batches, worth $500m (£366m) each, will "definitely include missiles for Patriot and HIMARS.
The first batches of equipment funding through PURL were already on their way, Nato's senior representative in Ukraine told Reuters.
"Four packages under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List have already been funded and equipment is already flowing," Patrick Turner said.
Donald Trump has been strongly critical of the billions of dollars the United States has spent on military aid for Ukraine. The PURL initiative offers a way for Europe to pay for the weapons and the US to send them.
Additional packages, each worth about $500m, are working their way through the approval system, sources told Reuters.
The new supplies of critical weapons comes as Ukraine is bracing for a heavy autumn offensive from Russia, with Vladimir Putin’s forces accelerating strikes on its shattered energy system, including gas infrastructure.
Top Russian general claims Putin's forces are 'advancing in practically all directions'
04:01
,
Arpan Rai
A senior Russian officer toured positions held by his troops in Ukraine and said Moscow's forces were advancing on all fronts, the Russian defence ministry said.
He said the heaviest fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops was taking place around the logistics centre of Pokrovsk.
General Valery Gerasimov, Russia's chief of staff of the armed forces in what Moscow calls its "special military operation", said Moscow's troops were making progress in the eastern Donetsk region, the conflict's focal point, and further west in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
"Our troops in the zone of the special military operation are advancing in practically all directions," the defence ministry quoted Gerasimov as saying.
"And the heaviest fighting is occurring in the Krasnoarmeisk direction," he added, using the Soviet-era name for the city of Pokrovsk, "where the enemy, by any means and taking no account of losses, is trying unsuccessfully to stop our advances and seize back the initiative.
"The Ukrainian military, he was quoted as saying, "has deployed the best-trained and most capable fighting units, taking them from other areas. And that facilitates the advance of our troops in other sectors."
Gerasimov's statements appeared to be at odds with accounts by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian military officials, however.
Zelensky, interviewed by Sky News this week, said he expected new Russian offensives but added that Moscow's forces had enjoyed little frontline success in their recent activity.
A spokesperson for a Ukrainian unit near Kupiansk yesterday said that an attempted Russian advance on the town had resulted in many of its men being taken prisoner.
Drills in Belarus and drone incursions into Romania: How the war in Ukraine has already become a European conflict
02:45
,
Athena Stavrou
The Kremlin issued a sharp warning to Nato when it said the alliance was “fighting against Russia” and was “de facto involved” in the war in Ukraine.
“Nato is providing direct and indirect support to the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “It can be said with absolute certainty that Nato is fighting against Russia.”
Yet as Russia sends drones into Poland and Romania and organises drills with Belarus, experts say that Putin is testing Nato’s response through its more aggressive movements past Ukrainian borders.
Bryony Gooch reports:
Yulia Navalnya says Alexei was poisoned before death in Russian prison according to independent tests
01:30
,
Athena Stavrou
Yulia Navalnya, the widow of journalist Alexei Navalny has said that independent lab tests have concluded her husband was poisoned shortly before his death in a Russian prison.
“These labs in two different countries reached the same conclusion: Alexei was killed. More specifically, he was poisoned,” Navalnaya said in a video posted to social media.
“I demand that the laboratories that conducted the research publish their results. Stop appeasing Putin for some higher 'considerations.' You cannot placate him. While you stay silent, he does not stop.”
Poland kickstarts 'Iron Defender' military exercise
Thursday 18 September 2025 00:40
,
Athena Stavrou
Poland has kickstarted its military exercise Iron Defender-25, just days after Russia violated its airspace with a drone incursion.
Deputy polish defence minister Cezary Tomczyk said Poland had been preparing for many months and was holding its own exercises.
More than 30,000 troops from Poland and allied nations will take part in drills across Orzysz, Ustka, Nowa Dęba, the Baltic Sea, airspace, and cyberspace.
