Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met with Donald Trump in what led to an awkward exchange.
Mr Trump met the Ukrainian leader at Trump Tower in New York on Friday morning. After arriving together at a conference room on Friday, Mr Trump said: “The fact that we’re even together today is a very good sign.”
But the meeting turned awkward when Mr Trump said he and Mr Zelensky had a “very good relationship” before adding: “I also have a very good relationship with President Putin.”
Mr Zelensky said in response: “I hope we have a better relationship.”
The rest of the meeting appeared productive, with Mr Zelensky saying: “I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped and Putin can't win.”
It has been reported that Mr Zelensky extended his stay in the US to meet Mr Trump. The former US president has been railing against the Ukrainian leader since he visited a munitions factory in US leader Joe Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania at the top of his US trip.
Key Points
- Trump meets Zelensky in New York
- Ukraine will win war, Biden insists
- Russia attack Zelensky’s home town
- Putin’s aide says new nuclear policy a response to the West
Ukraine says it downed 69 drones, 2 missiles during overnight Russian attack
06:48
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ukraine’s air force shot down 69 out of 73 drones during an overnight Russian attack today, it said in a statement on Telegram.
Russian forces also used two ballistic and two cruise missiles during the attack, the air force added. Ukrainian forces downed two cruise missiles, they said.
Antony Blinken says talk of Ukraine peace plan ‘doesn’t add up’
06:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US secretary of state Antony Blinken underscored strong concerns about China’s support for Russia’s defence industrial base in talks with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, saying Beijing’s talk of peace in Ukraine “doesn’t add up”.
In a meeting with Mr Wang on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Blinken said he also raised China’s “dangerous and destabilising actions” in the South China Sea and discussed improving communication between their militaries.
About 70 per cent of the machine tools Russia is importing and 90 per cent of the microelectronics come from China and Hong Kong, Mr Blinken said.
That was materially helping Moscow to produce the missiles, rockets, armored vehicles and munitions needed to perpetuate its war, he added.
“So when Beijing says that, on the one hand, it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand, is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesn’t add up.”
Russia strikes Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, killing one - in pictures
06:01
Tom Watling
China and Brazil push for Ukraine peace plan
05:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
China and Brazil pressed ahead with an effort to gather developing countries behind a plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, despite Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s dismissal of the initiative as serving Moscow’s interests.
Seventeen countries attended a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly chaired by China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, and Brazilian foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim.
Mr Wang told reporters they discussed the need to prevent escalation in the war, avoid the use of weapons of mass destruction and prevent attacks on nuclear power plants.
“Russia and Ukraine are neighbors that cannot be moved away from each other and amity is the only realistic option,” Mr Wang said, adding that the international community should support a peace conference involving both Russia and Ukraine.
Orban pushes back on aide’s comment that Hungary wouldn’t have fought a Russian invasion
05:05
Tom Watling
The US is giving Ukraine billions more in weapons. Here's how they will help
04:00
Tom Watling
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
03:00
Tom Watling
A Ukrainian author turned soldier has a stark warning for the West: ‘Be prepared for war with Russia’
02:00
Tom Watling
Putin’s fall is inevitable, says freed prisoner Vladimir Kara Murza
01:00
Tom Watling
Zelensky urges world leaders to stand with Ukraine in address to UN
Saturday 28 September 2024 00:00
Tom Watling
Russia has secret war drone project in China, report alleges
Friday 27 September 2024 23:00
Tom Watling
I’ve witnessed the horrific cost of Putin’s war – as casualties hit 1m
Friday 27 September 2024 22:02
Tom Watling
Mapped: Ukraine’s incursion into the Russian Kursk region explained
Friday 27 September 2024 21:01
Tom Watling
Vladimir Kara-Murza: How I survived 11 months in Putin’s gulag
Friday 27 September 2024 20:01
Tom Watling
Orbán pushes back on aide's comment that Hungary wouldn't have fought a Russian invasion
Friday 27 September 2024 19:03
Tom Watling
Ukraine will fight street to street to keep Russia out of key city
Friday 27 September 2024 17:59
Tom Watling
New British leader vows his nation will reengage on global leadership
Friday 27 September 2024 17:02
Tom Watling
The US is giving Ukraine billions more in weapons. Here's how they will help
Friday 27 September 2024 16:01
Tom Watling
Trump meets Zelensky in New York - in pictures
Friday 27 September 2024 15:42
Tom Watling
Trump and Zelensky meet in New York amid rising questions about US support for Ukraine
Friday 27 September 2024 15:26
Tom Watling
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived for a meeting with Donald Trump as public tensions have been rising between the two over Ukraine‘s defense against Russia’s invasion.
“I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped and Putin can’t win,” Zelensky said, referring to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
After arriving together at a conference room on Friday, Trump said “the fact that we’re even together today is a very good sign.”
But the meeting turned awkward when Mr Trump said he and Mr Zelensky had a “very good relationship” before adding: “I also have a very good relationship with President Putin.”
Mr Zelensky said in response: “I hope we have a better relationship.”
The visit is taking place at Trump Tower in New York, a day after Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent, met with the Ukrainian leader and expressed unwavering support.
The meeting is highly anticipated and comes as Election Day nears, with Trump and Harris taking sharply different positions on backing Ukraine in the third year of its war with Russia.
Trump has in recent days praised Russia’s historic military victories and insisted the US needs “to get out” and end its involvement with Ukraine.
Donald Trump about Zelenskyy: We have a good relationship... And I also have a good relationship with president Putin.
— Ostap Yarysh (@OstapYarysh) September 27, 2024
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: I hope we have a better relationship. pic.twitter.com/1QiD9JAVgy
Nato to set up northern land command in eastern Finland
Friday 27 September 2024 15:03
Tom Watling
Nato will set up a new land command in Finland near the Russian border next year, tasked with leading the alliance’s land force operations in northern Europe in the event of a military conflict, the Finnish defence minister has announced.
Finland joined the Nato alliance last year, in response to neighbouring Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022, and is organising the alliance’s presence on its territory.
“This morning, I have decided that we will propose to Nato to establish the command in conjunction with the Army Headquarters in Mikkeli,” said the minister, Antti Hakkanen, following up on his June announcement that all Nato member states had given their political consent for the plan.
The centre, which Nato calls Multi Corps Land Component Command, will operate under the alliance’s US-based Norfolk Joint Force Command and jointly with Finland’s own land force command that is already located in Mikkeli, about two hour’s drive from the Finnish-Russian border.
Hakkanen, speaking at a news conference, said the unit would initially have an annual budget of 8.5 million euros (£7.1 million) and consist of a few dozen international officials.
EU concerned by report of Russia producing attack drones in China
Friday 27 September 2024 14:41
Tom Watling
A report that Russia is developing a China-backed attack drone programme for the war in Ukraine is “deeply concerning”, a European Union spokesperson said on Friday.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Russian state-owned arms company Almaz-Antey, has developed and flight-tested a new drone model called Garpiya-3 (G3) in China with the help of local specialists.
It cited two sources from a European intelligence agency and reviewed documents about the programme.
“We have noted the deeply concerning reports alleging that Russia is developing attack drones in China for the use in its war of aggression against Ukraine,” said Nabila Massrali, a spokesperson for the EU’s diplomatic service.
“If these reports are accurate, this would mean that Chinese companies are providing Russia with lethal assistance,” she added.
“It would go against China’s official narrative that it does not provide lethal weapons to support Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine and therefore we expect the allegations to be thoroughly and immediately examined and addressed by the Chinese authorities.”
The EU has repeatedly urged all countries, including China, not to provide material or other support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, Massrali said.
China’s foreign ministry has told Reuters it was not aware of the project, adding that Beijing had strict control measures on the export of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Russia hits Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih
Friday 27 September 2024 14:06
Tom Watling
Biden and Harris meet with Zelensky after Trump snubs Ukrainian leader
Friday 27 September 2024 13:41
Tom Watling
UPD: Russian missile kills one, damages buildings in central Ukrainian city
Friday 27 September 2024 13:09
Tom Watling
A Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih struck a five-storey building housing the regional police department on Friday, killing at least one person and injuring five others, officials said.
Several people are feared buried under the rubble, officials said.
The body of a woman was found under the rubble, the regional governor Serhiy Lysak later said on the Telegram messaging app.
He added that 23 private houses, three apartment blocks and an educational facility had been damaged in the attack.
Ukraine‘s emergency services said the attack had partially destroyed the building housing the police directorate for the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Orbán pushes back on aide's comment that Hungary wouldn't have fought a Russian invasion
Friday 27 September 2024 12:32
Tom Watling
Russia takes control of village in eastern Ukraine, says defence ministry
Friday 27 September 2024 12:01
Tom Watling
Russia has claimed that its forces have taken control of the village of Marynivka in Ukraine‘s eastern Donetsk region.
Russian forces have in recent weeks accelerated their progress in Donetsk, taking a series of towns and villages.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
Biden to host Ukraine defence group next month
Friday 27 September 2024 11:29
Tom Watling
US president Joe Biden is set to host a Ukraine defence group in Germany next month following talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Ukraine Defence Contact Group will take place on 12 October in Germany and bring together international partners to coordinate additional assistance for Ukraine.
The White House said in a statement that “President Biden is determined to provide Ukraine with the support it needs to win”.
Putin’s fall is inevitable, says freed prisoner Vladimir Kara Murza
Friday 27 September 2024 10:54
Tom Watling
Ukraine will fight street to street to keep Russia out of key city
Friday 27 September 2024 10:29
Tom Watling
We have some pictures from Izmail after Russia attack
Friday 27 September 2024 09:58
Tom Watling
Earlier, we reported that a Russian drone attack on the southern town of Izmail in the Odesa region killed three people and injured 14, including three children.
Below, we have some pictures released by the local emergency services as they tackled the fires caused by the attack.
Russian attack on Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih strikes police department, national police says
Friday 27 September 2024 09:33
Tom Watling
A Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday struck a local police department, Ukraine‘s national police said in a statement via the Telegram messaging app.
The police said the rescue operation was underway and that the attack dealt injuries to people without providing additional details.
The US is giving Ukraine billions more in weapons. Here's how they will help
Friday 27 September 2024 09:08
Tom Watling
Russian attack on southern town of Izmail kills 3, injures 14
Friday 27 September 2024 08:48
Tom Watling
A Russian drone attack on the southern town of Izmail killed three people and injured 14, including three children, Odesa regional prosecutors said on Friday.
The “large-scale terror attack” in the early hours of Friday caused several fires besides damaging homes, Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app.
Overnight Russian missile attack on the central city of Dnipro also damaged an industrial facility and caused a fire, Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram.
Drone and shelling attacks on the region damaged infrastructure, Lysak said, adding that no casualties had been reported in the attacks.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 24 out of 32 drones during Russia’s overnight attack on Telegram. One of the drones entered the Romanian air space, it said.
Russian forces also used one ballistic and two cruise missiles during the attack, the air force added.
Russian drone may have breached Romanian air space during overnight atack on Ukraine
Friday 27 September 2024 08:23
Tom Watling
Romania’s national airspace was likely breached for under three minutes by a Russian drone during an overnight attack on neighbouring Ukraine, the defense ministry said on Friday.
NATO member Romania scrambled four fighter jets to monitor the attack from the air, the ministry said, adding military personnel were looking for potential fragments.
Photos from the frontline
Friday 27 September 2024 07:56
Tom Watling
Russia attack on Odesa kills 3, injures 11
Friday 27 September 2024 07:30
Arpan Rai
A Russian drone attack on the southern town of Izmail killed three people and injured 11, including a child, authorities in the region of Odesa said this morning.
The “large-scale terror attack” in the early hours today also caused several fires besides damaging homes, Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said on his Telegram channel.
The US is giving Ukraine billions more in weapons. Here's how they will help
Friday 27 September 2024 07:11
Arpan Rai
The Biden administration’s latest infusion of more than $2.7bn in military aid for Ukraine and the promise of billions more will give Kyiv a massive boost in air defences, but much of the aid is in long-range contracts for weapons that won’t be seen on the battlefield for some time.
Included in a $2.4bn long-term assistance package announced yesterday — just before meetings between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris — is another Patriot missile battery and additional munitions for the system.
Recap: Russian targets Ukraine could hit with long-range missiles
Friday 27 September 2024 07:00
Jane Dalton
The targets Kyiv could hit if Washington gave the go-ahead to use Western long-range missiles to fire at military sites within Russia:
Russian forces fired missile that killed Reuters safety adviser, Ukraine says
Friday 27 September 2024 06:33
Arpan Rai
Russian forces fired the missile that killed Reuters safety adviser Ryan Evans and wounded two of the agency’s journalists last month, four Ukrainian security sources said.
The missiles was fired by Russian forces stationed in the southern border region of Rostov. The missile was launched from a site close to Taganrog, a Russian city on the coast of the Sea of Azov near the Ukrainian border, according to Ukraine’s intelligence services.
The intelligence services said there were two Russian units operating close to the launch site at that time: the 1st Guards rocket brigade of the 49th Army and the 107th Guards rocket brigade of the 35th Army.
The Ukrainian military’s general staff, in separate written responses to Reuters’ questions, said that there was also a third unit near Taganrog that could have conducted the strike: the 47th rocket brigade of the 8th Army.
The general staff’s statement said a Russian Iskander 9M723 ballistic missile was fired from the area at around 22.28 (1928 GMT) and struck the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, where the Reuters team was staying, seven minutes later.
In a written response to Reuters’ questions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that they were for the armed forces to answer.
“For our part, we can repeat once again – our armed forces strike only at objects directly or indirectly connected with the military infrastructure,” Peskov added.
Biden and Zelensky to meet in Germany next month, White House says
Friday 27 September 2024 06:02
Arpan Rai
Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky will meet on 12 October in Germany, the White House said, confirming one of the final interactions between the two before the US president’s term ends.
The two leaders, who met in the Oval Office yesterday, will discuss Mr Zelensky’s peace plan, said spokesperson John Kirby.
Mr Zelensky said the $7.9bn in aid announced by the White House “will be a great help” and revealed that he and the American president were “preparing to discuss the details” and “strengthen” his “plan for victory” over Russia.
The Ukrainian war-time president has been in the United States for the UN General Assembly, where on Wednesday he warned world leaders that Russian president Vladimir Putin is attempting to “break the Ukrainian spirit” by targeting his country’s energy infrastructure.
He also cautioned against accepting purported peace deals that would be negotiated without Ukraine having a say.
Nato chief warns against Putin’s intimidation with nuclear move
Friday 27 September 2024 05:35
Arpan Rai
Outgoing Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Moscow was attempting to intimidate alliance members with its new nuclear doctrine lowering the threshold for a nuclear response.
“Russia’s nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and reckless,” Mr Stoltenberg said at the Council on Foreign Relations. “We are closely watching what Russia is doing.”
Vladimir Putin has said Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack.
The move, his aide and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, should be considered a signal to Western countries that there will be consequences if they participate in attacks on Russia.
Zelensky presents ‘victory plan’ to US politicians
Friday 27 September 2024 05:15
Jane Dalton
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky presented the key points of his “victory plan” to members of the US House of Representatives, and said strong pressure was needed for his country.
I had a meeting with a bipartisan delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives, during which I presented the key points of the Victory Plan, which can strengthen us on the path to peace.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 26, 2024
We are at a critical juncture in this war. We need really strong pressure and strong… pic.twitter.com/dBzMBRolNj
Biden and Harris meet Zelensky after Trump snubs Ukrainian leader
Friday 27 September 2024 05:01
Arpan Rai
President Joe Biden on Thursday said the billions of dollars of defense aid he has authorised for Ukraine will strengthen Kyiv’s hand “in future negotiations” as he met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office for what could be the final time during his presidency.
Sitting alongside Zelensky, Biden thanked the Ukrainian leader for sharing his own plan for victory in his country’s nearly three-year-old war against Russian invading forces.
He added that it was important “to strengthen Ukraine’s position on the battlefield” by releasing all of the aid approved by Congress in the supplemental defense aid package he signed into law earlier this year.
The billions of dollars worth of defence assistance will be delivered to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in January.
Trump says he will meet Zelensky today
Friday 27 September 2024 04:44
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said he will meet Volodymyr Zelensky today in New York as the Ukrainian president wraps up his US visit.
The Republican presidential nominee told reporters he will meet Mr Zelensky at Trump Tower in Manhattan at 9.45am EDT. The Ukrainian war-time leader, who met president Joe Biden yesterday, has extended his stay in the United States in order to meet the former president.
Ukraine should be allowed to use arms freely, says Lithuanian minister
Friday 27 September 2024 04:36
Arpan Rai
Ukraine should be able to freely use arms it has been provided, Lithuania’s foreign minister has said.
The minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said he hoped Kyiv would be able to shoot further into Russia with weapons Washington announced it would deliver to Ukraine. Kyiv’s allies in Nato are deliberating sending long-range missiles to Ukraine which can be used to strike Russia, which routinely strikes Ukraine with its own ballistic and cruise missiles.
“The strategic goal that puts Ukraine in the strongest possible position requires to allow them to use the weaponry freely,” Landsbergis said. Arming Ukraine is one thing, but it is not very efficient if Kyiv is not allowed to use the arms, Mr Landsbergis told Reuters.
“I’m reading president Biden’s statement, and I’m seeing that there is a new type of rockets that are being delivered that are longer-range than the previous ones,” Mr Landsbergis said.
“My hope is that it’s not a rocket that they should shoot from afar, from a distance to the front, that they would be allowed to use those rockets and shoot further out.”
He also confirmed Lithuania’s support of including Ukraine in Nato’s common defence area. “It has to happen,” Mr Landsbergis said. “If you’re saying that, OK, we want Ukraine in a safe, secure position, without the risk that they will be attacked, you have to answer how. And, honestly, it’s not rocket science.”
One killed in Russian attack on Kherson, houses hit in Kharkiv
Friday 27 September 2024 04:13
Arpan Rai
Russian forces repeatedly shelled a settlement west of the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson yesterday, killing one person and wounding another, the region’s governor said.
The casualty included a woman who died when Russian forces hit the village of Tomyna Balka six times, said Vyacheslav Prokudin, governor of Kherson region, still partly held by Russian forces.
Outside Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv, a strike by Russian multiple rocket launchers triggered a fire engulfing at least six homes in the town of Slatyne, local official Vyacheslav Zadorenko said.
Zadorenko said emergency services were tackling the blaze and trying to establish whether any residents were trapped under rubble. Kharkiv, located 30km (18 miles) from the border, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks.
Putin’s aide says new nuclear policy a response to the West
Friday 27 September 2024 04:02
Arpan Rai
The Kremlin said that the changes to Russia’s nuclear weapons doctrine outlined by Vladimir Putin should be considered a signal to Western countries that there will be consequences if they participate in attacks on Russia.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said adjustments to a document called “The Foundations of State Policy in the Sphere of Nuclear Deterrence” had been formulated.
Asked by reporters if the changes were a signal to the West, Mr Peskov said: “This should be considered a definite signal.”
“This is a signal that warns these countries about the consequences if they participate in an attack on our country by various means, and not necessarily nuclear ones,” Mr Peskov said.
The world, Mr Peskov said, was witness to an “unprecedented confrontation” which he said was provoked by the “direct involvement of Western countries, including nuclear powers” in the Ukraine war.
Biden promises funding to Kyiv before January
Friday 27 September 2024 03:30
Jane Dalton
US president Joe Biden said the US would strengthen Ukraine’s position in future negotiations by expediting funding during his term, which ends in January.
Before meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, Mr Biden said the US would deal with Ukraine’s future defence needs.
He said he planned to convene a meeting with other world leaders focused on Ukraine’s defence during a visit to Germany next month.
How new weapons from US will help Kyiv
Friday 27 September 2024 01:45
Jane Dalton
A look at the latest military aid going to Ukraine:
In case you missed it: US journalist reveals her ordeal in Russian jail
Thursday 26 September 2024 23:59
Jane Dalton
In pictures: Biden and Zelensky meet in Oval Office
Thursday 26 September 2024 22:30
Jane Dalton
Harris slates ‘proposals for surrender’
Thursday 26 September 2024 21:30
Jane Dalton
US vice-president Kamala Harris said calls for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia were “dangerous and unacceptable” as she met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The comments from the Democratic nominee for president were thinly veiled criticism of suggestions from Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, that Ukraine should quickly cut a deal to end the war.
“They are not proposals for peace,” Ms Harris said. “Instead they are proposals for surrender.”