Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has said the UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato’s airspace as she warned Moscow of risking "direct armed confrontation" with the Western alliance.
“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,” she said, addressing Vladimir Putin in her remarks at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Ukraine and its allies met in New York yesterday to discuss Russian fighter jet and drone incursions into Nato member states Estonia, Poland and Romania’.
Russian incursions into Nato airspace “risk miscalculation” and “open the door to direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia,” Ms Cooper said.
Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin has offered Donald Trump an extension to a nuclear deal between Russia and the US, a deal the Trump administration has said is “pretty good”.
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Key Points
- Foreign secretary warns UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato airspace
- You're risking armed conflict, foreign secretary tells Russia
- Trump says US would come to Poland and Baltic states' defence if Russia attacks
- Putin offers Trump extension of nuclear arms control deal
- German and Swedish fighter jets track Russian plane over Baltic Sea
Analysis: As US abandons UN, China can move in
04:25
,
Jane Dalton
Foreign secretary warns UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato airspace
04:04
,
Arpan Rai
Foreign 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 Dalton
Russian 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 Rai
Ukrainian 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
Recap: Putin suggests extending nuclear deal by a year
02:02
,
Jane Dalton
Russian leader Vladimir Putin had declared he is ready to adhere to nuclear arms limits for one more year under the last remaining nuclear pact with the United States that expires in February.
Mr Putin said, in televised comments, that allowing the New START agreement signed in 2010 to expire would be destabilising and could fuel proliferation of nuclear weapons.
"To avoid provoking a further strategic arms race and to ensure an acceptable level of predictability and restraint, we believe it is justified to try to maintain the status quo established by the New START Treaty during the current, rather turbulent period," he said.
He said Russia was prepared to stick by the treaty's limits for one more year after it expires on 5 February next year.
Arms control advocates long have voiced concern about the treaty's looming expiration.
Mr Putin said maintaining limits on nuclear weapons could also be an important step in "creating an atmosphere conducive to substantive strategic dialogue with the US".
Recap: Russian jets over Estonia ‘ignored signals from Nato pilots’
01:07
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Russian jets reportedly “ignored” signals from Nato pilots after violating Estonian airspace on Friday.
The 12-minute incursion represents the latest test of the alliance's response to Russian airborne threats, after around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on 10 September.
It still “needs to be confirmed,” if the border violation was deliberate or not, Col. Ants Kiviselg, the commander of Estonia’s Military Intelligence Center, told The Associated Press. Regardless, he said, the Russian jets "must have known that they are in (Estonian) airspace.”
Read the full report:
Ukraine faces a shortage of soldiers. The army is using robots to help
Tuesday 23 September 2025 00:05
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly deploying agile, remote-controlled armoured vehicles to carry out battlefield tasks in a bid to evade Russian drones.
The machines are capable of carrying essential supplies, clearing dangerous mines, and evacuating both the wounded and the deceased amid a shortage of Ukrainian soldiers.
“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.”
You can read the full report below...
ICYMI: Inside Russia’s revamped answer to Eurovision as winner crowned in night of glitter and geopolitics
Monday 22 September 2025 23:05
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Nicole Wootton-Cane
Russia is banned from participating in Eurovision, but the country has come up with its own version - Intervision.
Last year, a Russian government spokesman last year said the Western version of the song contest “surpassed any orgy, coven or ritual sacrifice”.
“Eurovision pales in comparison to Intervision,” lawmaker Leonid Slutsky told Russian state news agency Tass. “(It) destroys the myth of Russian isolation.”
You can read more about the song contest and its inaugural winner below...
ICYMI: UK to use Russian assets to fund Ukraine war effort
Monday 22 September 2025 22:01
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Nicole Wootton-Cane
Rachel Reeves, the UK Chancellor, will announce plans to explore using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's war effort.
It comes after Russia's recent incursion into Estonian airspace, where three MiG-31 fighter jets remained without permission for 12 minutes, causing global outrage.
Ms Reeves said it was "Russia's war, and Russia should pay," and highlighted the defence of Ukraine as vital for the long-term security of the UK and Europe.
ICYMI: European countries must be ready to fight Russia, says Finnish president
Monday 22 September 2025 21:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
European countries should be prepared to step in and fight with Ukraine if Moscow takes further military action, the Finnish president has said.
Alexander Stubb said that any security guarantees negotiated in order to bring the three-and-a-half year long war to a close would have to act as “a strong” deterrent for a future invasion by Moscow.
You can read the full report below...
RECAP: German and Swedish fighter jets track Russian plane over Baltic Sea
Monday 22 September 2025 20:30
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Nicole Wootton-Cane
German and Swedish fighter jets were scrambled on Sunday to intercept and monitor a Russian surveillance aircraft operating unannounced over the Baltic Sea, military officials have confirmed.
A Russian IL-20 reconnaissance plane was flying without providing a flight path or establishing radio contact, authorities said.
You can read the full report below...
Kallas: If Russia violates airspace then countries have right to defend themselves
Monday 22 September 2025 20:27
,
Daniel Keane
If Russian planes violate airspace "every country has the right to defend itself and act accordingly," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said.
She also said there was limited time for a deal to be reached between Iran and key European powers to delay a return of sanctions on Tehran.
WATCH: Trump says US would defend Poland if Russia attacks
Monday 22 September 2025 20:05
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Nicole Wootton-Cane
Putin treaty proposal sounds good, says White House
Monday 22 September 2025 19:50
,
Jane Dalton
The White House has said Russia's proposed one-year extension to the last remaining nuclear pact treaty limiting both countries' nuclear weapons sounded “pretty good".
Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Donald Trump was aware of the proposal and wanted to make public comments on it.
The treaty was originally supposed to expire in 2021, but was extended for five more years, and is now due to expire next February.
Analysis: As US abandons UN, China can move in
Monday 22 September 2025 19:08
,
Jane Dalton
Donald Trump is far from a shared UN vision, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
White House says Russian offer to extend nuclear weapons treaty sounds good
Monday 22 September 2025 19:05
,
Daniel Keane
The White House said on Monday that Russia's proposed one-year extension to the last treaty limiting both countries' nuclear weapons "sounds pretty good."
Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that US President Donald Trump is aware of the proposal and wishes to make public comments on it.
NATO conduct ' surveillance missions' over eastern flank
Monday 22 September 2025 18:30
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
NATO is conducting “surveillance missions” over its eastern flank after a series of airspace incursions by Russian jets.
In a post on X, the organisation 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
Trump to meet Zelensky and EU leaders
Monday 22 September 2025 18:30
,
Jane Dalton
President Donald Trump is set to hold a series of high-stakes meetings at the United Nations this week, beginning with bilateral talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and leaders from Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.
In a separate multilateral summit, Mr Trump will convene with leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan, Leavitt said.
Russia’s ‘reckless’ aggression condemned by UN Security Council
Monday 22 September 2025 17:56
,
Jane Dalton
US envoy vows to defend 'every inch' of Nato territory
Monday 22 September 2025 17:28
,
Jane Dalton
The United States' new envoy to the UN told the Security Council that Moscow needed to defuse tensions, not exacerbate them.
"I want to take this first opportunity to repeat and to emphasise the United States and our allies will defend every inch of Nato territory," said Michael Waltz, making his first appearance since taking his post.
Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmytry Polyanskiy, said there was no evidence backing their claims and accused European powers of levying baseless accusations.
"We won't be partaking in this theater of the absurd," he said.
"When you decide that you want to engage in a serious discussion about European security, about the fate of our common continent, about how to make this continent prosperous and secure for everybody, we'll be ready."
UK accuses Russia of risking armed conflict
Monday 22 September 2025 17:24
,
Jane Dalton
Nato allies accused Russia at the United Nations of violating the alliance's air space in Estonia and Poland - actions that Britain said risked triggering an armed conflict.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper told Russian delegates: "Your reckless actions risk direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia. Our alliance is defensive but be under no illusion – we stand ready to defend Nato's skies and Nato's territory."
"If we need to confront planes operating in Nato space without permission, then we will do so," she said.
Germany plans for 1,000 wounded troops per day in case of conflict with Russia
Monday 22 September 2025 17:03
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Germany's armed forces are planning how to treat a potential 1,000 wounded troops per day should a large-scale conflict between NATO and Russia break out.
It comes amid long-standing warnings by the alliance that Moscow could be capable of launching an attack from 2029.
Moscow has consistently denied it might be preparing for a war with the Western military alliance, but the latest incursions of Russian jets and drones into NATO territory have raised fears of escalation.
Germany's Surgeon General Ralf Hoffmann said the number of wounded troops in a potential conflict would depend on the intensity of battle and which military units were involved.
"Realistically, we are talking about a figure of around 1,000 wounded troops per day," he told news agency Reuters in an interview.
European militaries, including their medical services, stepped up preparations for potential conflict with Moscow in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe's biggest conflict since World War Two.
Moscow testing Europe's borders, says EU foreign chief
Monday 22 September 2025 16:53
,
Jane Dalton
It’s no accident that Russia violated European airspace three times in two weeks, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said.
Moscow was testing Europe’s borders and undermining the bloc’s security, she said.
And she warned the Kremlin would continue to provoke as long as it was allowed to do so.
What do Russia's drone incursions mean for airspace safety?
Monday 22 September 2025 16:34
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Russia 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.”
US will defend 'every inch' of Nato territory, ambassador says
Monday 22 September 2025 16:12
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
The US will defend “every inch” of Nato territory in the face of Russian aggression, the US representative to the UN Security Council Michael Waltz said.
He added Donald Trump had spent an “enormous amount of time and energy” attempting to end the war in Ukraine.
“Russia must urgently stop such dangerous behaviour,” he said. “We expect Russia to seek ways to de-escalate, not risk expansion.”
Russia's representative accuses Europe of 'Russophobia'
Monday 22 September 2025 15:48
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Russia’s representative to the UN Security Council used their statement to accuse European leaders of “Russophobia”.
They said Russia was 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”.
He said the EU had made “groundless” accusations of Russian drones entering Polish airspace earlier this month.
Russia actions risk direct confrontation with NATO - Britain
Monday 22 September 2025 15:44
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Britain's foreign minister 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 air space.
"Your reckless actions risk direct armed confrontation between NATO and Russia," Yvette Cooper told the United Nations Security Council.
"Our alliance is defensive but be under no illusion we stand ready to defend NATO's skies and NATO's territory."
Russia 'choosing escalation and provocation,' French representative tells UN security council
Monday 22 September 2025 15:36
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
The 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
Monday 22 September 2025 15:32
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
The 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.”
UN gathers with 'heavy hearts' over conflict in Ukraine, EU chief says
Monday 22 September 2025 15:04
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
European Commission president Antonio Costa has said world leaders have gathered with “heavy hearts” on Monday due to conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza.
“Now more than ever, we need to reaffirm the UN’s core principles, and its vision of a global peace built through cooperation, as we work for the implementation of the Pact for the Future and push for reforms to make the UN more efficient and fitted to serve the needs of the people,” he wrote in a post on X.
As the UN Charter turns 80, we gather here with heavy hearts as war rages in places like Gaza, Ukraine or Sudan, and the multilateral system is under growing strain. Yet these challenges cannot weaken our resolve.
— António Costa (@eucopresident) September 22, 2025
Now more than ever, we need to reaffirm the UN’s core principles,… pic.twitter.com/37Fa1HgcPP
Russia revives Soviet-era tactics to quash dissent, says UN expert
Monday 22 September 2025 14:43
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Russia is reviving Soviet-era tactics such as forced psychiatric treatment to silence dissenters and anti-war voices in an increasingly repressive environment, a UN expert said on Monday.
Rights groups say President Vladimir Putin's government has lurched further into authoritarianism since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, but Moscow denies that and accuses the West of a smear campaign.
A report this month by Mariana Katzarova, the UN’s special rapporteur on rights in Russia, found that state-sponsored repression is escalating and becoming systematic via national security laws and other measures.
"Punitive psychiatry has returned as a tool against anti-war voices," Katzarova told reporters in Geneva.
The Russian diplomatic mission in Geneva pointed Reuters to a September 8 statement by its foreign minister saying that Moscow does not recognise her mandate and calling her work illegitimate. Moscow has previously called criticism of its rights record unfounded.
Putin offers Trump extension of nuclear arms control deal
Monday 22 September 2025 14:25
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Putin has offered US president Donald Trump a nuclear arms control deal that would see both countries’ arsenals limited for a further year.
The deal on the table would extend a current agreement over numbers of nuclear weapons, which is due to expire on February 5 next year, by another 365 days.
This would ease pressure on the two countries as they negotiate what comes next.
"Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the central numerical limits under the New START Treaty for one year after 5 February 2026," said the Russian president.
"Subsequently, based on an analysis of the situation, we will make a decision on whether to maintain these voluntary self-imposed restrictions.
"We believe that 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."
The proposal appears to be a unilateral change of policy by Moscow which has until now insisted it would only engage with Washington on such matters if overall ties - hampered by stark differences over the war in Ukraine - improved.
There was no immediate response from Washington.
IN PICTURES: Putin chairs a Security Council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow
Monday 22 September 2025 14:03
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Three killed in Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia
Monday 22 September 2025 13:30
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Three people have died after Russia targeted the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia in overnight strikes.
Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces used at least 10 aerial bombs to attack schools, kindergartens, and a factory.
Maps from Deep State war, who track the progress of the war in Ukraine, show Zaporizhzhia’s position around 22km from the front line.
IN PICTURES: Russian strikes hit Zaporizhzhia
Monday 22 September 2025 13:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Yvette Cooper to represent UK at UN General Assembly
Monday 22 September 2025 12:39
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
The UK’s foreign secretary Yvette Cooper will travel to New York this week to represent the UK at the UN General Assembly.
She said the conflict in Ukraine would be one of the issues at the top of her list when she meets with leaders from across the world.
“At this moment of intense global instability and conflict, UK diplomacy and leadership has never been more important,” she said.
“Innocent civilians are suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
“Countries worldwide are dealing with high levels of migration including displaced and trafficked people.
“And climate change is not just a future threat to our survival, but a source of chaos and suffering across every continent today.
“This week at the UN General Assembly we will be pursuing progress across all those challenges, in particular by strengthening the international consensus on our pathway for peace in the Middle East, and our coalition against Russian aggression in Ukraine.”
Poland will shoot down objects in clear-cut airspace violations, prime minister says
Monday 22 September 2025 12:06
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Poland will not hesitate to shoot down objects that violate its airspace and pose a threat, but will take a more cautious approach to situations that are less clear-cut, the prime minister said on Monday.
Estonia said three Russian fighter jets violated its airspace on Friday, adding to a sense among NATO leaders that Moscow is testing the alliance's readiness and resolve, with some urging a firm response. The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Monday to discuss the incident.
Russia said on Monday the claim its jets violated Estonian airspace was false and designed to stir up tension.
The alleged incursion over Estonia came after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 9-10. Poland also said on Friday two Russian fighter jets violated the safety zone of the Petrobaltic drilling platform in the Baltic Sea.
"We will take the decision to shoot down flying objects when they violate our territory and fly over Poland - there is absolutely no discussion about that," Donald Tusk told a news conference.
"When we're dealing with situations that aren't entirely clear, such as the recent flight of Russian fighter jets over the Petrobaltic platform - but without any violation, because these aren't our territorial waters - you really need to think twice before deciding on actions that could trigger a very acute phase of conflict," he added.
Tusk said that he would also need