Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia is seeking to expand its war beyond his country as he appealed for more military aid to keep fighting Moscow forces.
In a speech at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Zelensky said Ukraine is “only the first” and that Russian drones are “already flying across Europe”, in an apparent reference to Russia's recent incursions into Polish and Estonian airspaces.
“Russian operations are already spreading across countries, and Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it,” he said. “No one can feel safe right now.”
It comes after US president Donald Trump claimed Kyiv could win “all of Ukraine back in its original form” in a striking rhetorical shift against Russia.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Russian army was a “paper tiger” and that Kyiv should act now to win back all of the land captured since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted claims that Kyiv would win back its land - something which Trump previously denied was possible. He also rejected Trump’s claim that it was an aimless war.
Key Points
- Zelensky accuses Putin of seeking to expand war beyond Ukraine
- 'Deeply mistaken': Kremlin again lashes out at Trump claims
- Trump reverses stance on territory, saying Kyiv can win it back
- Spanish defence minister's jet suffers GPS disturbance near Russian enclave
- Trump says Nato can shoot down Putin’s planes violating airspace
Zelensky warns UN: Russia could attack you next as Trump turns on Putin
05:06
,
Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin is expanding his war into Europe and no country should feel safe from the Russian threat, Volodymyr Zelensky warned in an impassioned speech to the UN General Assembly.
The Ukrainian leader made a plea for countries worldwide to band together and called on the UN to help bring a halt to “the most destructive arms race in human history”, as he took to the stage one day after Donald Trump’s hour-long speech on Tuesday.
“Putin will keep driving the war forward, wider and deeper,” Mr Zelensky said. “We told you before: Ukraine is only the first. Now Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries.
“Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it, and no one can feel safe right now.”
Zelensky warns of AI dangers in weapons
04:47
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has echoed UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres in calling for global rules on how AI can be used in weapons, stressing that "this is just as urgent as preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.
“Stopping Putin now is cheaper than trying to protect every port and airport and every ship from drone attacks, and having to build underground schools and health centres as Ukraine has been forced to do to protect its citizens," he said.
"Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead."
"So we must use everything we have together to force the aggressor to stop, and only then do we have a real chance that this arms race will not end in catastrophe for all of us," the Ukrainian leader said.
Trump growing 'incredibly impatient' with Moscow, says Vance
04:29
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump is growing impatient with Russia over its refusal to work towards an end to the war in Ukraine, US vice president JD Vance said.
"I believe the president is growing incredibly impatient with the Russians right now because he doesn't feel like they're putting enough on the table to end the war," Vance said, speaking to reporters in North Carolina.
Trump’s second-in-command said their administration has engaged "in incredibly good faith negotiations with both the Russians and Ukrainians" but Moscow refuses to do the same.
“(Trump) wants this war to end, and he's doing everything that he can to stop it. But, look, if the Russians refuse to negotiate in good faith, I think it's going to be very, very bad for their country. That's what the president made clear," he said.
"Number two, the president has grown very confident that this war is bad for Russia. You hear me say this all the time. You hear the president say this all the time. The war is bad for Russia. It's bad for Ukraine. It's bad for America. We want the killing to stop. That remains the president's position," Vance said.
The U-turn from Trump this week regarding Ukraine's fortunes in its fight against Russia is not a shift in position, but "an acknowledgment of the reality on the ground", Vance said.
Zelensky says world is in 'the most destructive arms race in human history'
04:14
,
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said the world is in "the most destructive arms race in human history" as he addressed the world leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly.
The Ukrainian war-time president urged the international community to act against Russia now, asserting that Vladimir Putin wants to expand his war in Europe.
In a bleak view of today's world, he told the annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly that weak international institutions including the United Nations haven't been able to stop wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere, and international law can't help nations survive.
"Weapons decide who survives," the Ukrainian leader said. "There are no security guarantees except friends and weapons."
If Putin isn't stopped now, Zelensky warned the assembly that he will keep driving the war forward, "wider and deeper."
"Ukraine is only the first, and now Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries," he said.
Zelensky spoke from the podium of the vast assembly chamber a day after he met with president Donald Trump, who expressed support for Ukraine's efforts and criticised Russia.
Ukraine's battlefield updates shifted Trump's view of war – report
04:04
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s briefings of battlefield updates to the top US officials coordinating with Kyiv on the war could have made Donald Trump change his mind, officials said.
The US president has spent the recent days with his officials who are working to push for a stronger stance backing Ukraine, including Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg and new ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, reported the Wall Street Journal.
“They updated Trump on current battlefield conditions, according to two people familiar with the situation, noting that Russia has made little progress in recent years,” the report said, citing officials.
This has led to Trump making a rhetorical shift and not a policy shift on the war in Ukraine, where he was previously pushing Kyiv to make some concessions.
Trump was also informed about Ukraine’s planned offensive which will need US intelligence support, the officials aware of the development said.
Ukraine to face new gruelling test as Russia intensifies Donetsk campaign
03:08
,
Tom Watling
Europe urgently needs to solve its Russian drone problem, Baltic officials say
02:07
,
Tom Watling
What to know about the man found guilty of trying to assassinate Trump at a Florida golf course
01:07
,
Tom Watling
Trump was rude and bombastic – but spoke one sobering truth
Thursday 25 September 2025 00:05
,
Tom Watling
Can Ukraine regain all the land lost to Russia? Maps show huge scale of task despite Trump’s call to ‘fight and win’
Wednesday 24 September 2025 23:05
,
Tom Watling
How Trump’s breakup with Putin helped push his startling shift on Ukraine
Wednesday 24 September 2025 22:03
,
Tom Watling
Zelensky meets with South African president
Wednesday 24 September 2025 22:00
,
Taz Ali
I met with President of the Republic of South Africa @CyrilRamaphosa.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 24, 2025
I informed President Ramaphosa about Russia’s intensified drone strikes against civilian targets and shared an update on the frontline situation. I emphasized that, unlike Russia, Ukraine is ready for a… pic.twitter.com/j4LpFcRfNI
Moldovan prime minister accuses Russia of using country's election to 'take power'
Wednesday 24 September 2025 21:00
,
Taz Ali
Moldova’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean has warned that Russia is spending hundreds of millions of euros to “take power” in a pivotal parliamentary election that could derail the country’s course toward the EU. Stephen McGrath reports
Brazil's Lula, Ukraine's Zelensky discuss Russia conflict on UN sidelines
Wednesday 24 September 2025 20:59
,
Tom Watling
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky met on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to a statement from the Brazilian government.
During the meeting, Lula expressed his belief that a military response will not bring an end to the conflict with Russia, and that an agreement on the terms of a ceasefire should be the first step in negotiations, the statement said.
The Brazilian leader advocated for greater involvement by the United Nations in reaching a negotiated solution that takes into account the security concerns of Ukraine and Russia, according to the statement.
“It's good that there are signals from Brazil that they support, most of all, a ceasefire and peace for the Ukrainian people,” Zelensky told journalists after the meeting.
According to the Ukrainian president, the meeting with Lula lasted around one hour, and was their first lengthy conversation in several years.
“President Lula told me that he will try his best to do everything to bring peace closer to Ukraine. I'm thankful to him for his clear position.”
The two left several topics on the table for future conversations, including on trade and economy, Zelensky said.
I had a substantive meeting with President of Brazil @LulaOficial. We spoke about the most important issue – the ways to achieve real peace for Ukraine. We want peace more than anyone, and I am ready for a meeting with the Russian side at the level of leaders, but Russia shows no… pic.twitter.com/IdeqBj3hKQ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 24, 2025
Putin’s economy is crumbling, but he also knows real sanctions would cost Trump dear too
Wednesday 24 September 2025 20:31
,
Tom Watling
Wednesday 24 September 2025 20:00
,
Taz Ali
We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history.
Volodymyr Zelensky
Lavrov to set out Russia's view to Rubio: Kremlin
Wednesday 24 September 2025 19:30
,
Taz Ali
The Kremlin said Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov would meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and provide "real information" to Washington.
The meeting at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday comes on the heels of a shift from US president Donald Trump on his stance on the war in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's incremental advances in Ukraine were deliberate.
"We are going forward very carefully to minimise losses and so as not to destroy our offensive potential," he said.
Analysis: Can Ukraine actually win the war? How Trump’s comments have rattled Russia
Wednesday 24 September 2025 19:00
,
Taz Ali
Trump has made a gigantic intellectual contribution to the future of Ukraine and Europe, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley
Lavrov meets Rubio in New York
Wednesday 24 September 2025 18:44
,
Tom Watling
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has met with his American counerpart Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The meeting began without introductory remarks for the press and continued behind closed doors.
In pictures: Putins meets Moscow-installed leader of occupied Ukrainian territory
Wednesday 24 September 2025 18:30
,
Taz Ali
Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Yevgeny Balitsky, the Moscow-installed leader of the Russian-controlled parts of the Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine, at the Kremlin in Moscow on Wednesday.
ICYMI: Zelensky warns Putin is seeking to expand war
Wednesday 24 September 2025 18:00
,
Taz Ali
Addressing the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called on world powers to work together to stop Russia's war in his country, accusing Russian leader Vladimir Putin of seeking to expand the fighting beyond Ukraine.
He said in a speech to the 193-member body that the war had helped unleash the “most destructive arms race in human history”, adding that the threat would only grow because of the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
He pointed to alleged airspace violations by Russian drones and fighter jets in Nato's Poland and Estonia as evidence that Putin was testing new boundaries in the war in Ukraine.
"Now Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries," he said. "Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it. No one can feel safe right now."
Estonia calls for more pressure on Russia
Wednesday 24 September 2025 17:41
,
Tom Watling
Estonia has urged members of the United Nations to ramp up pressure on Russia following repeated violations of international airspace and it’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking in New York to the UN General Assembly, Estonian president Alar Karis said: "The only viable way towards a ceasefire and a just and lasting peace is to increasing collective international pressure on Russia, to force them to peace in Ukraine," he adds.
Zelensky thanks Spanish king for 'true solidarity with our people'
Wednesday 24 September 2025 17:30
,
Taz Ali
I had a good conversation with His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain. Spain supports Ukraine in many areas: humanitarian, military, and economic. What matters most is that this support is genuine and effective. Thank you for your true solidarity with our people.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 24, 2025
pic.twitter.com/0hnVr5Ect3
Two people killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Novorossiysk, local officials say
Wednesday 24 September 2025 17:00
,
Taz Ali
Two people were killed and several others injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk, regional officials have said.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, a Russian-Kazakh oil project, said two of its employees were injured in the attack on Wednesday, adding that several others not employed by the company were “seriously” wounded when drones hit its office building.
Emergency services reported two deaths and seven injuries.
There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials about the attack.
Ukrainian drones stage new attack on major Russian oil refinery
Wednesday 24 September 2025 16:30
,
Taz Ali
Ukrainian drones attacked one of Russia's largest largest oil refineries for the second time in a week, Russian authorities have said.
Ukraine has attacked more than 10 Russian refineries and export terminals over the past two months, some more than 1,000km (620 miles) from the border.
Wednesday’s attack took place in the city of Salavat in Bashkortostan, about 1,200km (750 miles) south-east of Moscow.
Bashkortostan governor Radiy Khabirov said the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat complex, located more than 1,000km (620 miles) from the Ukrainian border, was “subjected to another terrorist drone attack”.
“We are assessing the extent of the damage,” he wrote on Telegram.
“All emergency services are on scene, and firefighting measures are underway.”
A video on social media appeared to show a large black plume of smoke rising from what was said to be the refinery, after local residents reported hearing several loud explosions.
Zelensky: Ukraine will begin exporting weapons to allies
Wednesday 24 September 2025 16:00
,
Taz Ali
Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was moving to open up the export of its weapons to allies.
"The facts are simple, stopping this war... is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later," he told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
He added that Ukraine was “ready to share what has already proven itself”, referring to defence production.
He made special mention of Ukrainian drones, saying his country does “not have those long, heavy missiles that dictators like to show off on parade”.
“But we do have drones capable of flying two to three thousand kilometres,” Zelensky said. “We simply had no other choice, we had to protect our lives.”
He continued: "We are ready to make our modern weapons become your modern security.
“We have decided to open up arms export. And these are powerful systems tested in a real war when every international institution failed.”
In pictures: Zelensky addresses the UN General Assembly
Wednesday 24 September 2025 15:30
,
Taz Ali
Zelensky accuses Putin of seeking to expand war beyond Ukraine
Wednesday 24 September 2025 15:07
,
Taz Ali
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of “driving the war forward, wider and deeper”.
“Ukraine is only the first, and now Russian drones are already flying across Europe,” he told the UN General Assembly.
“Russian operations are already spreading across countries, and Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it.
“No one can feel safe right now.”
Europe 'cannot afford' to lose Moldova to Russian influence, Zelensky warns
Wednesday 24 September 2025 15:00
,
Taz Ali
Volodymyr Zelensky warned Europe could not afford to lose strategically located Moldova to Russian influence in the same way as Georgia.
"Russia's trying to do to Moldova what Iran once did to Lebanon and the global response again, not enough,” the Ukrainian president told the UN General Assembly.
“We have already lost Georgia in Europe... and for many, many years, Belarus has also been moving towards dependence on Russia.
“Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova too.”
Zelensky: 'We are living through the most destructive arms race in human history'
Wednesday 24 September 2025 14:57
,
Taz Ali
The Ukrainian president said the world was living through “the most destructive arms race in human history” as a result of artificial intelligence (AI).
Volodymyr Zelensky told the UN General Assembly that rules were needed to govern how AI is used to control weapons.
Ukraine needs 'friends and weapons', Zelensky says
Wednesday 24 September 2025 14:52
,
Taz Ali
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said international rules do not work and only “friends and weapons” can save a country at a time of war.
"If a nation wants peace, it still has to work on weapons... weapons decide who survives," he told the UN General Assembly.
Watch: Ukraine braces for new test as Russia steps up drive to seize Donetsk’s fortress belt
Wednesday 24 September 2025 14:49
,
Alex Croft
Zelensky: We do not have big missiles that dictators show off in parades
Wednesday 24 September 2025 14:37
,
Daniel Keane
Zelensky says Ukraine does not have “big fat missiles that dictators like to show off in parades”, in what appears to be a dig at President Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
He adds that while Ukraine does not have a large navy fleet, it has succeeded in repelling Russian attacks in the Black Sea.
Zelensky begins address to UN General Assembly
Wednesday 24 September 2025 14:35
,
Daniel Keane
Volodymyr Zelensky has begun his address to the UN General Assembly.
He says that Ukraine is at risk from Iranian-made drones, and the world is moving “too slowly” to protect itself.
“It is only a matter of time before drones are fighting drones and targeting critical infrastructure. We are living through the most destructive arms race in human history. Because this time it includes artificial intelligence.”
Ukrainian strike kills two in Russian port city, say local authorities
Wednesday 24 September 2025 14:29
,
Alex Croft
A Ukrainian drone strike on the southern Russian port city of Novorossiisk killed two people and wounded six on Wednesday, regional authorities said on Telegram.
The city's top official said a state of emergency had been declared in Novorossiisk, which is Russia's major sea port on the Black Sea and contains major oil and grain export terminals.
The emergency services ministry declared a danger of drone attacks across the whole of the Krasnodar region.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC)'s office in the city was struck in the attack, with two employees injured, CPC said.
However, a CPC spokesperson said the consortium's terminal at Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka, located around the bay from the city of Novorossiisk, was still operating. The terminal loads Caspian CPC Blend crude oil for export to international markets.
Ukraine has been heavily targeting energy and port facilities that support Russia's war economy and generate revenues for its state budget.
Regional authorities in Krasnodar, southern Russia, said there was a threat of attacks on the Black Sea port of Tuapse from Ukrainian naval drones, and instructed residents and guests to leave the coastal strip.A Ukrainian drone strike on the southern Russian port city of Novorossiisk killed two people and wounded six on Wednesday, regional authorities said on Telegram.
Analysis | How Trump’s break-up with Putin helped push his startling shift on Ukraine
Wednesday 24 September 2025 14:07
,
Alex Croft
Our chief international correspondent Bel Trew on Trump’s latest change in heart:
After months of repeated disappointment in his former buddy-in-chief, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump went as far as to label the Russian leader’s army a “paper tiger”.
So what has changed, and why?
This is a far cry from the public bust-up in the Oval Office back in February, when Trump mocked Zelensky’s military fatigues, berated him for not being thankful enough for US military aid, and shut him down because he had “done a lot of talking”.
In that painful-to-watch meeting, during which the Ukrainian ambassador held her head in her hands as the world looked on in horror, Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, tried to bully the Ukrainian president into accepting a ceasefire deal that would see Ukraine cede swathes of territory captured by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion.
“You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards. You’re running low on soldiers,” Trump warned.
Going back to the policy reversal, of course, Trump leaning into bombastic, controversial statements on his preferred social media platforms, that seemingly blow up everything that came before, is entirely in character.
You can read the full article here.
Nato warns Russia it will use all tools to defend against threats
Wednesday 24 September 2025 13:48
,
Alex Croft
Nato has warned Russia that it would use "all necessary military and non-military tools" to defend itself as it condemned Moscow for violating Estonian airspace in a "pattern of increasingly irresponsible behaviour".
The warning came after Estonia said on Friday that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes before Nato Italian fighter jets escorted them out.
The week before, some 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting Nato jets to shoot some of them down and the alliance to beef up the defence of Europe's eastern flank.
US president Donald Trump appeared to come out in favour of a robust Nato response to any future incursions as he spoke to reporters at the United Nations General Assembly.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth held a call with Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur yesterday and told him that Washington "stands with all Nato allies and that any incursion into Nato airspace is unacceptable," the Pentagon said in a statement.
Trump fires shot at Putin for his 'bad leadership' in UN speech - ICYMI
Wednesday 24 September 2025 13:29
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has now begun talking about Ukraine in his speech at the UN general assembly on Tuesday.
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”.
Critics feared Trump and Putin were on the same page. Now, Trump and Zelensky appear closer than ever
Wednesday 24 September 2025 13:10
,
Alex Croft
Three days ago, it looked as if Russian President Vladimir Putin had brought Donald Trump back to his side in the three-year-old war he has fought to illegally seize much of Ukraine’s territory and move the former Soviet republic closer to the West.
Now, after a historic day of White House meetings between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a host of world leaders who accompanied him to Washington, the U.S. president appears to have moved far in the opposite direction — towards a historic commitment of American resources and towards the future security of Ukraine.
Zelensky said his talks with Trump had been their ‘best’ meeting yet. White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg recaps a historic day at the White House
'Embarrassing!': Trump scolds European countries buying Russian oil
Wednesday 24 September 2025 12:51
,
Alex Croft
