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Tag: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

  • Trump, Zelenskyy speak on path to peace for Ukraine in

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged President Trump to broker peace in Ukraine like he did in the Middle East during a phone call on Saturday, the Ukrainian leader said.

    “If a war can be stopped in one region, then surely other wars can be stopped as well — including the Russian war,” Zelensky wrote in a post.

    He added, “I informed President Trump about Russia’s attacks on our energy system—and I appreciate his willingness to support us. We discussed opportunities to bolster our air defense, as well as concrete agreements that we are working on to ensure this.”

    Russia launched a major airstrike on Friday that targeted the Ukrainian power grid, causing blackouts across much of the country. Power was restored on Saturday to more than 800,000 residents in Kyiv; however, localized outages remain, officials said.

    A White House official confirmed to CBS News that a call between the two presidents occurred, but did not offer any additional details.

    Relations between the two leaders have warmed dramatically since February, when they sparred during a now-infamous televised meeting at the White House. That meeting was abruptly canceled, and the Ukrainian leader’s visit was cut short after it descended into insults and chaos. Mr. Trump threatened Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia or “we’re out,” and Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful.”

    Trump has since called Zelensky a “nice guy” and maintained support for Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian invasion since 2022.

    The two leaders most recently met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in September. After that meeting, Mr. Trump said on Truth Social that Ukraine was in a position to win back all its territory from Russia. 

    “Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’”

    He wrote, “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.” 

    Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will not cede territory to Russia.

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  • Power restored to 800,000 in Kyiv after major Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid

    KYIV, Ukraine — Power was restored to over 800,000 residents in Kyiv on Saturday, a day after Russia launched major attacks on the Ukrainian power grid that caused blackouts across much of the country, and European leaders agreed to proceed toward using hundreds of billions of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s war effort.

    Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said Saturday that “the main work to restore the power supply” had been completed, but that some localized outages were still affecting the Ukrainian capital following Friday’s “massive” Russian attacks.

    Russian drone and missile strikes wounded at least 20 people in Kyiv, damaged residential buildings and triggered blackouts across swaths of Ukraine early Friday.

    Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described the attack as “one of the largest concentrated strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

    Russia’s Defense Ministry on Friday said the strikes had targeted energy facilities supplying Ukraine’s military. It did not give details of those facilities, but said Russian forces used Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and strike drones against them.

    The energy sector has been a key battleground since Russia launched its all-out invasion more than three years ago.

    Each year, Russia has tried to cripple the Ukrainian power grid before the bitter winter season, apparently hoping to erode public morale. Winter temperatures run from late October through March, with January and February the coldest months.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Friday that Russia was taking advantage of the world being “almost entirely focused on the prospect of establishing peace in the Middle East,” and called for strengthening Ukraine’s air defense systems and tighter sanctions on Russia.

    “Russian assets must be fully used to strengthen our defense and ensure recovery,” he said in the video, posted to X.

    Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a joint statement on Friday they were ready to move toward using “in a coordinated way, the value of the immobilised Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s armed forces and thus bring Russia to the negotiation table.”

    The statement added they aimed to do this “in close cooperation with the United States.”

    Ukraine’s budget and military needs for 2026 and 2027 are estimated to total around 130 billion euros ($153 billion). The European Union has already poured in 174 billion euros (about $202 billion) since the war started in February 2022.

    The biggest pot of ready funds available is through frozen Russian assets, most of which is held in Belgium – around 194 billion euros ($225 billion) as of June – and outside the EU in Japan, with around $50 billion, and the U.S., U.K. and Canada with lesser amounts.

    Ukraine’s air force said Saturday that its air defenses intercepted or jammed 54 of 78 Russian drones launched against Ukraine overnight, while Russia’s defense ministry said it had shot down 42 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.

    Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

    AP

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  • Massive Russian attack on Ukraine energy sector prompts sharp Zelenskyy rebuke and call for more help from allies

    Kyiv, Ukraine — Russian drone and missile strikes overnight Friday caused blackouts across large swaths of Ukraine, damaged residential buildings and injured at least 20 people in Kyiv, authorities said. A child was killed in attacks in the southeast of the country.

    In the heart of the Ukrainian capital, rescue crews pulled more than 20 people out of a 17-story apartment building as flames engulfed the sixth and seventh floors. Five people were hospitalized, while others received first aid at the scene, authorities said.

    The Russian “cynical and calculated” strikes targeted civilian and energy infrastructure as Ukraine prepared for falling winter temperatures, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media.

    Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko also described the attack as “one of the largest concentrated strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure of the war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

    Residential districts on Kyiv’s left bank remain without electricity due to Russian strikes on Oct. 10, 2025.

    Andriy Zhyhaylo/Oboz.ua / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images


    Ukraine’s air force said Friday that the latest Russian barrage included 465 strike and decoy drones, as well as 32 missiles of various types. Air defenses intercepted or jammed 405 drones and 15 missiles, it said.  

    Zelenskyy wrote that parts of nine regions of the country were hit with blackouts.

    “It is precisely the civilian and energy infrastructure that is the main target of Russia’s strikes ahead of the heating season,” he said.

    “Together, we can protect people from this terror. What’s needed is not window dressing but decisive action – from the United States, Europe, and the G7 – in delivering air defense systems and enforcing sanctions. We count on a response to this brutality from the G20 and from all those who speak of peace in their statements yet refrain from taking real steps.

    “The world can defend itself against these crimes – and doing so will undoubtedly strengthen global security.”

    Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Friday’s attack knocked out power on both sides of the city, divided by the Dnipro River, while Ukraine’s biggest electricity operator, DTEK, said repair work was already underway on multiple damaged thermal plants.

    The energy sector has been a key battleground since the war started.

    Each year, Russia has tried to cripple the Ukrainian power grid before the bitter winter season, hoping to erode public morale. Ukraine’s winter runs from late October through March, with January and February the coldest months.

    In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, residential areas and energy sites were pounded with attack drones, missiles and guided bombs, killing a 7-year-old boy and wounding his parents and others, military administration officials said. A hydroelectric plant in the area was taken offline as a precaution, they said.

    Separately, the Reuters news service notes, Ukraine’s top general said Ukraine struck Russian territory 70 times last month.

    “We are destroying the production of fuels and lubricants, explosives, and other components of the Russian military-industrial complex in the aggressor country,” Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on Facebook.

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  • JD Vance says U.S.

    The White House is weighing Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles to defend the country against Russian forces, Vice President JD Vance said Sunday. 

    “We’re certainly looking at a number of requests from the Europeans. And one of the things, again, that I think has really worked about the president’s policy in Ukraine and Russia is that it’s forced the Europeans to step up in a big way. … It’s something the president’s going to make the final determination on,” Vance said on “Fox News Sunday.”

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a bilateral meeting with President Trump at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters on Sept. 23, 2025, in New York City.

    Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images


    Axios reported Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had asked President Trump for the long-range missiles at a meeting between the two at last week’s U.N. General Assembly. CBS News has reached out to Ukrainian officials, including Zelenskyy’s office, for comment on those talks. 

    The Trump administration has implemented a policy of selling weapons to Ukraine that would be paid for by European NATO countries in August, under terms of a deal struck between Mr. Trump and NATO leaders earlier in the summer.  

    On Sunday, Vance said the U.S. was considering the sale of Tomahawk missiles in line with that policy. “What we’re doing is asking the Europeans to buy that weaponry that shows some European skin in the game. I think that gets them really invested in both what’s happening in their own backyard, but also in the peace process that the president has been pushing for, for the last eight months,” Vance said. 

    The U.S.-made Tomahawk missile has a range of about 1,500 miles, which would place Moscow well within the range of Kyiv should the Ukrainian government obtain them. 

    On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov implied that the U.S. was directly interfering in the war between Russian and Ukraine. “Moscow has heard Washington’s statements about possible Tomahawk deliveries to Ukraine and is carefully analyzing them,” Peskov said at a news conference. “It is important to understand who will be directing and launching the Tomahawk missiles from Ukrainian territory – the Americans or the Ukrainians themselves.” 

    Speaking to Fox News later on Sunday, U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg said “there are no such things as sanctuaries” in war and that Ukraine should have the ability to conduct long-range strikes on Russia. 

    “I think reading what he (Mr. Trump) has said, and reading what Vice President Vance has said … the answer is yes. Use the ability to hit deep,” Kellogg said. 

    Russia Hits Kyiv With Large Aerial Attack

    KYIV, UKRAINE – SEPTEMBER 28: People try to clear the damage and locate their belongings at the scene of a Russian strike on September 28, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities said Russia launched another large overnight drone and missile attack on the capital.

    Ed Ram / Getty Images


    Russia fired more than 600 drones and missiles at targets across Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday morning,  the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement. The attacks killed four people and wounded dozens more, Ukrainian officials said, and was one of the largest aerial barrages Ukraine has faced since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in 2022. 

    Mr. Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Russia’s failure to come to the table to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine, and he has offered Ukraine encouragement over the past week in its fight to repel Russian troops. 

    “Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger,’” Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday. 

    “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option,” Mr. Trump said. 

    Emmet Lyons

    Emmet Lyons is a news desk editor at the CBS News London bureau, coordinating and producing stories for all CBS News platforms. Prior to joining CBS News, Emmet worked as a producer at CNN for four years.

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  • 4 people killed, dozens injured in major Russian attack on Ukraine’s capital

    Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, overnight. Four people were killed and dozens were injured in what was one of the most sustained attacks since Moscow’s invasion. Leigh Kiniry has more on the impact.

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  • Large Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv kills 4 and wounds at least 10

    Russia unleashed a barrage of drones and missiles on Ukraine overnight into Sunday, killing at least four people, with the capital city of Kyiv suffering the heaviest assault.This is the first major bombardment since an air attack on Kyiv left at least 21 people dead last month.Kyiv bears the brunt of the attackTymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration, confirmed Sunday’s casualties via Telegram and said 10 others were wounded in the attack that targeted civilian areas across the city. A 12-year-old girl was among the dead. Thick black smoke could be seen rising from a blast near the city center.“The Russians have restarted the child death counter,” Tkachenko wrote on Telegram.Russia fired a total of 595 exploding drones and decoys and 48 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday. Of those, air defenses shot down or jammed 566 drones and 45 missiles.Besides Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the bombardment targeted the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa. Zelenskyy wrote on X that at least 40 people were wounded across the country. Later, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry stated the number of the wounded rose to 70, with over a hundred civilian objects damaged.Zaporizhzhia’s regional head, Ivan Fedorov, said three children were among the 27 wounded in the region, adding that over two dozen buildings were damaged in the capital that bears the same name.“This vile attack came virtually (at) the close of UN General Assembly week, and this is exactly how Russia declares its true position. Moscow wants to keep fighting and killing, and it deserves the toughest pressure from the world,” Zelenskyy wrote.Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted to world leaders Saturday that his nation doesn’t intend to attack Europe but will mount a “decisive response” to any aggression.Residents shakenThe strikes that began overnight and continued after dawn on Sunday also targeted residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, a medical facility and a kindergarten, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who also said damage was reported at more than 20 locations across the capital.At Kyiv’s central train station, passengers arrived to the crackle of anti-aircraft gunfire and the low buzz of attack drones. Mostly women, they waited quietly in a platform underpass until the air raid alert ended. Parents checked the news on their phones while children played online games.“The sky has turned black again,” said one woman at the station, who gave only her first name, Erika. “It’s happening a lot.”Ilona Kovalenko, a 38-year-old resident of a five-story building struck in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district, told The Associated Press she woke up because of the explosion, which shattered windows.“A neighbor kept knocking on our door. She was completely covered in blood and shouting, ‘help, save my daughter,’” said Kovalenko, who fled the building with her grandmother after the strike.Oleksandra, the neighbor’s daughter, was the 12-year-old killed in the attack.“Sadly, she died on the spot,” Kovalenko said. “We are in shock, to be honest.”Another multi-story residential building was heavily damaged by the attack. Emergency services personnel used power saws to clear the debris. Piles of glass littered nearby sidewalks as building residents, some looking shaken, sat on benches.Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attacks.Polish military responses triggeredThe assault also triggered military responses in neighboring Poland, where fighter jets were deployed early Sunday morning as Russia struck targets in western Ukraine, according to the Polish armed forces.Polish military officials characterized these defensive measures as “preventative.”International concerns have mounted recently that the fighting could spread beyond Ukraine’s borders as European countries rebuked Russia for what they said were provocations. The incidents have included Russian drones landing on Polish soil and Russian fighter aircraft entering Estonian airspace.Russia denied its planes entered Estonian airspace and said none of its drones targeted Poland.The latest bombardment follows President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s announcement Saturday of what he called a “mega deal” for weapons purchases from the United States. The $90 billion package includes both the major arms agreement and a separate “drone deal” for Ukrainian-made drones that the U.S. will purchase directly.Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 41 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday. Morton reported from London.

    KYIV —

    Russia unleashed a barrage of drones and missiles on Ukraine overnight into Sunday, killing at least four people, with the capital city of Kyiv suffering the heaviest assault.

    This is the first major bombardment since an air attack on Kyiv left at least 21 people dead last month.

    Kyiv bears the brunt of the attack

    Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration, confirmed Sunday’s casualties via Telegram and said 10 others were wounded in the attack that targeted civilian areas across the city. A 12-year-old girl was among the dead. Thick black smoke could be seen rising from a blast near the city center.

    “The Russians have restarted the child death counter,” Tkachenko wrote on Telegram.

    Russia fired a total of 595 exploding drones and decoys and 48 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday. Of those, air defenses shot down or jammed 566 drones and 45 missiles.

    Besides Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the bombardment targeted the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa. Zelenskyy wrote on X that at least 40 people were wounded across the country. Later, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry stated the number of the wounded rose to 70, with over a hundred civilian objects damaged.

    Zaporizhzhia’s regional head, Ivan Fedorov, said three children were among the 27 wounded in the region, adding that over two dozen buildings were damaged in the capital that bears the same name.

    “This vile attack came virtually (at) the close of UN General Assembly week, and this is exactly how Russia declares its true position. Moscow wants to keep fighting and killing, and it deserves the toughest pressure from the world,” Zelenskyy wrote.

    Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted to world leaders Saturday that his nation doesn’t intend to attack Europe but will mount a “decisive response” to any aggression.

    Residents shaken

    The strikes that began overnight and continued after dawn on Sunday also targeted residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, a medical facility and a kindergarten, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who also said damage was reported at more than 20 locations across the capital.

    At Kyiv’s central train station, passengers arrived to the crackle of anti-aircraft gunfire and the low buzz of attack drones. Mostly women, they waited quietly in a platform underpass until the air raid alert ended. Parents checked the news on their phones while children played online games.

    “The sky has turned black again,” said one woman at the station, who gave only her first name, Erika. “It’s happening a lot.”

    Ilona Kovalenko, a 38-year-old resident of a five-story building struck in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district, told The Associated Press she woke up because of the explosion, which shattered windows.

    “A neighbor kept knocking on our door. She was completely covered in blood and shouting, ‘help, save my daughter,’” said Kovalenko, who fled the building with her grandmother after the strike.

    Oleksandra, the neighbor’s daughter, was the 12-year-old killed in the attack.

    “Sadly, she died on the spot,” Kovalenko said. “We are in shock, to be honest.”

    Another multi-story residential building was heavily damaged by the attack. Emergency services personnel used power saws to clear the debris. Piles of glass littered nearby sidewalks as building residents, some looking shaken, sat on benches.

    Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attacks.

    Polish military responses triggered

    The assault also triggered military responses in neighboring Poland, where fighter jets were deployed early Sunday morning as Russia struck targets in western Ukraine, according to the Polish armed forces.

    Polish military officials characterized these defensive measures as “preventative.”

    International concerns have mounted recently that the fighting could spread beyond Ukraine’s borders as European countries rebuked Russia for what they said were provocations. The incidents have included Russian drones landing on Polish soil and Russian fighter aircraft entering Estonian airspace.

    Russia denied its planes entered Estonian airspace and said none of its drones targeted Poland.

    The latest bombardment follows President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s announcement Saturday of what he called a “mega deal” for weapons purchases from the United States. The $90 billion package includes both the major arms agreement and a separate “drone deal” for Ukrainian-made drones that the U.S. will purchase directly.

    Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 41 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday.

    Morton reported from London.


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  • Analyzing Trump’s shift in tone on Russia, Ukraine

    A Ukrainian military official said the front lines have grown by about 120 miles in the past year, with the battlefield stretching nearly 800 miles in total. CBS News contributor Sam Vinograd has the national security roundup.

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  • Zelenskyy ‘ready’ to exit office if war ends, open to elections in ceasefire

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    President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested he is ready to step down from office once Russia’s war on Ukraine ends.

    During an interview with Axios Wednesday, the Ukrainian leader also maintained his primary focus remains achieving peace rather than securing another term.

    “My goal is to finish the war,” Zelenskyy told Barak Ravid on The Axios Show following his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York and before heading back to Kyiv.

    When pressed on if Ukraine would hold elections during a ceasefire, Zelenskyy was firm.

    EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL JOIN TRUMP-ZELENSKYY MEETING, SIGNALING SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy answers questions during an exclusive appearance on Fox News’ “Special Report” with Bret Baier. (Fox News)

    “So do you commit that if tomorrow, President Putin agrees for a ceasefire of three months, six months, whatever you will push forward to go for elections in Ukraine?” Ravid asked. “Yes,” Zelenskyy responded.

    When asked whether he envisioned leading Ukraine in peacetime, Zelenskyy again suggested his intent to step aside once the war is won. 

    “If we will finish war with Russia? Yes,” Zelenskyy said, before clarifying that elections were not his personal ambition. 

    “It’s not my goal, elections,” he explained. “I want it very much, in a very difficult period of time, to be with my country, help my country. Yes, that is what I wanted. My goal is to finish the war,” he stated.

    PUTIN DEMANDS CONTROL OF KEY UKRAINIAN TERRITORY IN EXCHANGE FOR PEACE: EUROPEAN DIPLOMAT

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 at Roma Convention Center La Nuvola, on July 10, 2025. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Image)

    The Ukrainian leader’s remarks come as his country is under martial law, imposed since Russia’s full-scale invasion started in February 2022.  

    Under martial law, elections can’t be held.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Zelenskyy, first elected in 2019 in a landslide, would have seen his five-year term end in May 2024 if the war with Russia had not started. 

    Now Zelenskyy has been in office for over six year which is beyond his original mandate. 

    Fox News Digital has reached out to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office for comment.

    Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture. 

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  • Zelenskyy says he’s “a little bit” surprised after Trump argues Ukraine can win back all its territory from Russia

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday he was surprised by President Trump’s post arguing the Eastern European country could regain all of its territory captured by Russia. 

    Mr. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that Zelenskyy’s forces are “in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form” with Europe’s help.  The unexpected remarks — which called the Russian military a “paper tiger” — came after Mr. Trump met with Zelenskyy for about an hour Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

    The comments appear to mark a dramatic shift for Mr. Trump, who said last month he expected “some swapping of territories” as part of an eventual Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal. Russia occupies large parts of eastern Ukraine, including territories captured in 2014 and in the current war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

    Asked later Tuesday by Fox News’ Bret Baier if he was surprised by the U.S. president’s about-face, Zelenskyy laughed and responded, “a little bit.”

    Zelenskyy said he and Mr. Trump had a positive conversation on Tuesday, and he believes Mr. Trump’s position on territorial swaps has changed.

    “I think he understands for today that we can’t just swap territories. It’s not fair,” he said.

    During their meeting on Tuesday, Mr. Trump told reporters that Zelenskyy was “putting up one hell of a fight,” and he believes the “biggest progress” is that the Russian economy is “terrible.” But the U.S. leader didn’t appear optimistic about a quick resolution to the war, telling reporters, “It looks like it’s not going to end for a long time.”

    Mr. Trump has pressed both Russia and Ukraine to reach a ceasefire deal to end their more than three-year-long war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. 

    But a deal has remained elusive as both sides’ public positions remain far apart. The Kremlin has pushed Zelenskyy to fully withdraw from large swaths of eastern Ukraine, an idea Zelenskyy has rejected as unfair and unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Ukraine has sought international security guarantees to deter another Russian attack if the current conflict ends.

    Mr. Trump has lashed out at both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin at various points. He met with Putin in Alaska last month, but he has criticized the Russian leader for continued strikes on Ukraine, and said last week that Putin had “really let me down.”

    The U.S. president also pressed NATO countries earlier this month to stop buying Russian oil and to impose hefty tariffs on China, which has remained aligned with Russia, writing that those moves could “be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR.”

    Separately, Mr. Trump said Tuesday that he believes NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft that enter their airspace, after Russian drones entered Poland earlier this month and Russian fighter jets allegedly entered Estonian airspace.

    At other points, though, Mr. Trump and Zelenskyy have had a rocky relationship. An Oval Office meeting between the two leaders earlier this year descended into a shouting match, and Mr. Trump has occasionally blamed Zelenskyy for the war.

    During his interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said he believes his relationship with his American counterpart has improved.

    “I think we have better relation[s] than before,” Zelenskyy said. “I think we didn’t have close relation[s] because we didn’t have, maybe, time. I don’t know.”

    Joe Walsh

    Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston.

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  • Trump in speech to UN says world body ‘not even coming close to living up’ to its potential

    President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations on Tuesday to boast of his second-term foreign policy achievements and lash out at the world body as a feckless institution, while warning Europe it would be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies.His roughly hour-long speech was both grievance-filled and self-congratulatory as he used the platform to praise himself and lament that some of his fellow world leaders’ countries were “going to hell.”The address was also just the latest reminder for U.S. allies and foes that the United States — after a four-year interim under the more internationalist President Joe Biden — has returned to the unapologetically “America First” posture under Trump.“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump said. “The U.N. has such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”World leaders listened closely to his remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his first eight months in office. Even in his first term, he was no fan of the flavor of multilateralism that the United Nations espouses.After his latest inauguration, he issued a first-day executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization. That was followed by his move to end U.S. participation in the U.N. Human Rights Council, and ordering up a review of U.S. membership in hundreds of intergovernmental organizations aimed at determining whether they align with the priorities of his “America First” agenda.Trump escalated that criticism on Tuesday, saying the international body’s “empty words don’t solve wars.”Trump offered a weave of jarring juxtapositions in his address to the assembly.He trumpeted himself as a peacemaker and enumerated successes of his administration’s efforts in several hotspots around the globe. At the same, Trump heralded his decisions to order the U.S. military to carry out strikes on Iran and more recently against alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela and argued that globalists are on the verge of destroying successful nations.The U.S. president’s speech is typically among the most anticipated moments of the annual assembly. This one comes at one of the most volatile moments in the world body’s 80-year-old history. Global leaders are being tested by intractable wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, uncertainty about the economic and social impact of emerging artificial intelligence technology, and anxiety about Trump’s antipathy for the global body.Trump has also raised new questions about the American use of military force in his return to the White House, after ordering U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June and a trio of strikes this month on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea.The latter strikes, including at least two fatal attacks on boats that originated from Venezuela, has raised speculation in Caracas that Trump is looking to set the stage for the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.Some U.S. lawmakers and human rights advocates say that Trump is effectively carrying out extrajudicial killings by using U.S. forces to lethally target alleged drug smugglers instead of interdicting the suspected vessels, seizing any drugs and prosecuting the suspects in U.S. courts.Warnings about ‘green scam’ and migrationTrump touted his administration’s policies allowing for expanded drilling for oil and natural gas in the United States, and aggressively cracking down on illegal immigration, implicitly suggesting more countries should follow suit.He sharply warned that European nations that have more welcoming migration policies and commit to expensive energy projects aimed at reducing their carbon footprint were causing irreparable harm to their economies and cultures.“I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the ‘green energy’ scam, your country is going to fail,” Trump said. “If you don’t stop people that you’ve never seen before that you have nothing in common with your country is going to fail.”Trump added, “I love the people of Europe, and I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration. This double-tailed monster destroys everything in its wake, and they cannot let that happen any longer.”The passage of the wide-ranging address elicited some groans and uncomfortable laughter from delegates.Trump to hold one-on-one talks with world leadersTrump touted “the renewal of American strength around the world” and his efforts to help end several wars. He peppered his speech with criticism of global institutions doing too little to end war and solve the world’s biggest problems.General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said that despite all the internal and external challenges facing the organization, it is not the time to walk away.“Sometimes we could’ve done more, but we cannot let this dishearten us. If we stop doing the right things, evil will prevail,” Baerbock said in her opening remarks.Following his speech, Trump met with Secretary-General António Guterres, telling the top U.N. official that the U.S. is behind the global body “100%” amid fears among members that he’s edging toward a full retreat.The White House says Trump will also meet on Tuesday with the leaders of Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union. He will also hold a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.He’ll return to Washington after hosting a reception Tuesday night with more than 100 invited world leaders.Gaza and Ukraine cast shadow over Trump speechTrump has struggled to deliver on his 2024 campaign promises to quickly end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His response has been also relatively muted as some longtime American allies are using this year’s General Assembly to spotlight the growing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the U.S. and Israel vehemently oppose.France became the latest nation to recognize Palestinian statehood on Monday at the start of a high-profile meeting at the U.N. aimed at galvanizing support for a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict. More nations are expected to follow.Trump sharply criticized the statehood recognition push.“The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists,” Trump said. “This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including Oct. 7.”Trump also addressed Russia’s war in Ukraine.It’s been more than a month since Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European leaders. Following those meetings, Trump announced that he was arranging for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine since the Alaska summit.European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some key Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia. Trump, meanwhile, has pressed Europe to stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.Trump said a “very strong round of powerful tariffs” would “stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly.” He repeated his calls on Europe to “step it up” and stop buying Russian oil.Trump has Oslo dreamsDespite his struggles to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Trump has made clear that he wants to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, repeatedly making the spurious claim that he’s “ended seven wars” since he returned to office.“Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Prize — but for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless wars,” Trump offered.He again highlighted his administration’s efforts to end conflicts, including between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan, Rwanda and the Democratic Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Cambodia and Thailand.“It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” Trump said. “Sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them.”Although Trump helped mediate relations among many of these nations, experts say his impact isn’t as clear cut as he claims.___AP journalists Tracy Brown and Darlene Superville in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

    UNITED NATIONS —

    President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations on Tuesday to boast of his second-term foreign policy achievements and lash out at the world body as a feckless institution, while warning Europe it would be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies.

    His roughly hour-long speech was both grievance-filled and self-congratulatory as he used the platform to praise himself and lament that some of his fellow world leaders’ countries were “going to hell.”

    The address was also just the latest reminder for U.S. allies and foes that the United States — after a four-year interim under the more internationalist President Joe Biden — has returned to the unapologetically “America First” posture under Trump.

    “What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump said. “The U.N. has such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”

    World leaders listened closely to his remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his first eight months in office. Even in his first term, he was no fan of the flavor of multilateralism that the United Nations espouses.

    After his latest inauguration, he issued a first-day executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization. That was followed by his move to end U.S. participation in the U.N. Human Rights Council, and ordering up a review of U.S. membership in hundreds of intergovernmental organizations aimed at determining whether they align with the priorities of his “America First” agenda.

    Trump escalated that criticism on Tuesday, saying the international body’s “empty words don’t solve wars.”

    Trump offered a weave of jarring juxtapositions in his address to the assembly.

    He trumpeted himself as a peacemaker and enumerated successes of his administration’s efforts in several hotspots around the globe. At the same, Trump heralded his decisions to order the U.S. military to carry out strikes on Iran and more recently against alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela and argued that globalists are on the verge of destroying successful nations.

    The U.S. president’s speech is typically among the most anticipated moments of the annual assembly. This one comes at one of the most volatile moments in the world body’s 80-year-old history. Global leaders are being tested by intractable wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, uncertainty about the economic and social impact of emerging artificial intelligence technology, and anxiety about Trump’s antipathy for the global body.

    Trump has also raised new questions about the American use of military force in his return to the White House, after ordering U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June and a trio of strikes this month on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea.

    The latter strikes, including at least two fatal attacks on boats that originated from Venezuela, has raised speculation in Caracas that Trump is looking to set the stage for the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

    Some U.S. lawmakers and human rights advocates say that Trump is effectively carrying out extrajudicial killings by using U.S. forces to lethally target alleged drug smugglers instead of interdicting the suspected vessels, seizing any drugs and prosecuting the suspects in U.S. courts.

    Warnings about ‘green scam’ and migration

    Trump touted his administration’s policies allowing for expanded drilling for oil and natural gas in the United States, and aggressively cracking down on illegal immigration, implicitly suggesting more countries should follow suit.

    He sharply warned that European nations that have more welcoming migration policies and commit to expensive energy projects aimed at reducing their carbon footprint were causing irreparable harm to their economies and cultures.

    “I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the ‘green energy’ scam, your country is going to fail,” Trump said. “If you don’t stop people that you’ve never seen before that you have nothing in common with your country is going to fail.”

    Trump added, “I love the people of Europe, and I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration. This double-tailed monster destroys everything in its wake, and they cannot let that happen any longer.”

    The passage of the wide-ranging address elicited some groans and uncomfortable laughter from delegates.

    Trump to hold one-on-one talks with world leaders

    Trump touted “the renewal of American strength around the world” and his efforts to help end several wars. He peppered his speech with criticism of global institutions doing too little to end war and solve the world’s biggest problems.

    General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said that despite all the internal and external challenges facing the organization, it is not the time to walk away.

    “Sometimes we could’ve done more, but we cannot let this dishearten us. If we stop doing the right things, evil will prevail,” Baerbock said in her opening remarks.

    Following his speech, Trump met with Secretary-General António Guterres, telling the top U.N. official that the U.S. is behind the global body “100%” amid fears among members that he’s edging toward a full retreat.

    The White House says Trump will also meet on Tuesday with the leaders of Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union. He will also hold a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

    He’ll return to Washington after hosting a reception Tuesday night with more than 100 invited world leaders.

    Gaza and Ukraine cast shadow over Trump speech

    Trump has struggled to deliver on his 2024 campaign promises to quickly end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His response has been also relatively muted as some longtime American allies are using this year’s General Assembly to spotlight the growing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the U.S. and Israel vehemently oppose.

    France became the latest nation to recognize Palestinian statehood on Monday at the start of a high-profile meeting at the U.N. aimed at galvanizing support for a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict. More nations are expected to follow.

    Trump sharply criticized the statehood recognition push.

    “The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists,” Trump said. “This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including Oct. 7.”

    Trump also addressed Russia’s war in Ukraine.

    It’s been more than a month since Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European leaders. Following those meetings, Trump announced that he was arranging for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine since the Alaska summit.

    European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some key Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia. Trump, meanwhile, has pressed Europe to stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.

    Trump said a “very strong round of powerful tariffs” would “stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly.” He repeated his calls on Europe to “step it up” and stop buying Russian oil.

    Trump has Oslo dreams

    Despite his struggles to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Trump has made clear that he wants to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, repeatedly making the spurious claim that he’s “ended seven wars” since he returned to office.

    “Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Prize — but for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless wars,” Trump offered.

    He again highlighted his administration’s efforts to end conflicts, including between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan, Rwanda and the Democratic Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Cambodia and Thailand.

    “It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” Trump said. “Sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them.”

    Although Trump helped mediate relations among many of these nations, experts say his impact isn’t as clear cut as he claims.

    ___

    AP journalists Tracy Brown and Darlene Superville in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

    Source link

  • Trump to take aim at ‘globalist institutions,’ make case for his foreign policy record in UN speech

    Watched by the world, President Donald Trump returns to the United Nations on Tuesday to deliver a wide-ranging address on his second-term foreign policy achievements and lament that “globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order,” according to the White House.Watch live video from the United Nations in the video player aboveWorld leaders will be listening closely to his remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his first eight months in office. Even in his first term, he was no fan of the flavor of multilateralism that the United Nations espouses.After his latest inauguration, he issued a first-day executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization. That was followed by his move to end U.S. participation in the U.N. Human Rights Council, and ordering up a review of U.S. membership in hundreds of intergovernmental organizations aimed at determining whether they align with the priorities of his “America First” agenda.“There are great hopes for it, but it’s not being well run, to be honest,” Trump said of the U.N. last week.The U.S. president’s speech is typically among the most anticipated moments of the annual assembly. This one comes at one of the most volatile moments in the world body’s 80-year-old history. Global leaders are being tested by intractable wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, uncertainty about the economic and social impact of emerging artificial intelligence technology, and anxiety about Trump’s antipathy for the global body.Trump has also raised new questions about the American use of military force in his return to the White House, after ordering U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June and a trio of strikes this month on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea.The latter strikes, including at least two fatal attacks on boats that originated from Venezuela, has raised speculation in Caracas that Trump is looking to set the stage for the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.Some U.S. lawmakers and human rights advocates say that Trump is effectively carrying out extrajudicial killings by using U.S. forces to lethally target alleged drug smugglers instead of interdicting the suspected vessels, seizing any drugs and prosecuting the suspects in U.S. courts.“This is by far the most stressed the U.N. system has ever been in its 80 years,” said Anjali K. Dayal, a professor of international politics at Fordham University in New York.Trump to hold one-on-one talks with world leadersWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would tout “the renewal of American strength around the world” and his efforts to help end several wars.“The president will also touch upon how globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order, and he will articulate his straightforward and constructive vision for the world,” Leavitt said.Following his speech, Trump will hold one-on-one meetings with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the leaders of Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union. He will also hold a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.He’ll return to Washington after hosting a reception Tuesday night with more than 100 invited world leaders.Gaza and Ukraine cast shadow over Trump speechTrump has struggled to deliver on his 2024 campaign promises to quickly end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His response has been also relatively muted as some longtime American allies are using this year’s General Assembly to spotlight the growing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the U.S. and Israel vehemently oppose.France became the latest nation to recognize Palestinian statehood on Monday at the start of a high-profile meeting at the U.N. aimed at galvanizing support for a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict. More nations are expected to follow.Leavitt said Trump sees the push as “just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies.”Trump, for his part, in the lead-up to Tuesday’s address has tried to keep focus on getting agreement on a ceasefire that leads Hamas to releasing its remaining 48 hostages, including 20 still believed be alive.“I’d like to see a diplomatic solution,” Trump told reporters Sunday evening. “There’s a lot of anger and a lot of hatred, you know that, and there has been for a lot of years … but hopefully we’ll get something done.”Leaders in the room will also be eager to hear what Trump has to say about Russia’s war in Ukraine.It’s been more than a month since Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European leaders. Following those meetings, Trump announced that he was arranging for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine since the Alaska summit.European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some key Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia. Trump, meanwhile, has pressed Europe to stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.Trump has Oslo dreamsDespite his struggles to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Trump has made clear that he wants to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, repeatedly making the claim that he’s “ended seven wars” since he returned to office.He points to his administration’s efforts to end conflicts between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan, Rwanda and the Democratic Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Cambodia and Thailand.Although Trump helped mediate relations among many of these nations, experts say his impact isn’t as clear cut as he claims.Still, Trump’s Nobel ambitions could have impact on the tenor of his address, said Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington.“His speech is going to be driven by how much he really believes he has a chance of getting a Nobel Peace Prize,” Montgomery said. “If he thinks that’s still something he can do, then I think he knows you don’t go into the U.N. and drop a grenade down the tank hatch and shut it, right?”___AP journalists Tracy Brown and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

    NEW YORK —

    Watched by the world, President Donald Trump returns to the United Nations on Tuesday to deliver a wide-ranging address on his second-term foreign policy achievements and lament that “globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order,” according to the White House.

    Watch live video from the United Nations in the video player above

    World leaders will be listening closely to his remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his first eight months in office. Even in his first term, he was no fan of the flavor of multilateralism that the United Nations espouses.

    After his latest inauguration, he issued a first-day executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization. That was followed by his move to end U.S. participation in the U.N. Human Rights Council, and ordering up a review of U.S. membership in hundreds of intergovernmental organizations aimed at determining whether they align with the priorities of his “America First” agenda.

    “There are great hopes for it, but it’s not being well run, to be honest,” Trump said of the U.N. last week.

    The U.S. president’s speech is typically among the most anticipated moments of the annual assembly. This one comes at one of the most volatile moments in the world body’s 80-year-old history. Global leaders are being tested by intractable wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, uncertainty about the economic and social impact of emerging artificial intelligence technology, and anxiety about Trump’s antipathy for the global body.

    Trump has also raised new questions about the American use of military force in his return to the White House, after ordering U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June and a trio of strikes this month on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea.

    The latter strikes, including at least two fatal attacks on boats that originated from Venezuela, has raised speculation in Caracas that Trump is looking to set the stage for the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

    Some U.S. lawmakers and human rights advocates say that Trump is effectively carrying out extrajudicial killings by using U.S. forces to lethally target alleged drug smugglers instead of interdicting the suspected vessels, seizing any drugs and prosecuting the suspects in U.S. courts.

    “This is by far the most stressed the U.N. system has ever been in its 80 years,” said Anjali K. Dayal, a professor of international politics at Fordham University in New York.

    Trump to hold one-on-one talks with world leaders

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would tout “the renewal of American strength around the world” and his efforts to help end several wars.

    “The president will also touch upon how globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order, and he will articulate his straightforward and constructive vision for the world,” Leavitt said.

    Following his speech, Trump will hold one-on-one meetings with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the leaders of Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union. He will also hold a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

    He’ll return to Washington after hosting a reception Tuesday night with more than 100 invited world leaders.

    Gaza and Ukraine cast shadow over Trump speech

    Trump has struggled to deliver on his 2024 campaign promises to quickly end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His response has been also relatively muted as some longtime American allies are using this year’s General Assembly to spotlight the growing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the U.S. and Israel vehemently oppose.

    France became the latest nation to recognize Palestinian statehood on Monday at the start of a high-profile meeting at the U.N. aimed at galvanizing support for a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict. More nations are expected to follow.

    Leavitt said Trump sees the push as “just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies.”

    Trump, for his part, in the lead-up to Tuesday’s address has tried to keep focus on getting agreement on a ceasefire that leads Hamas to releasing its remaining 48 hostages, including 20 still believed be alive.

    “I’d like to see a diplomatic solution,” Trump told reporters Sunday evening. “There’s a lot of anger and a lot of hatred, you know that, and there has been for a lot of years … but hopefully we’ll get something done.”

    Leaders in the room will also be eager to hear what Trump has to say about Russia’s war in Ukraine.

    It’s been more than a month since Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European leaders. Following those meetings, Trump announced that he was arranging for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine since the Alaska summit.

    European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some key Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia. Trump, meanwhile, has pressed Europe to stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.

    Trump has Oslo dreams

    Despite his struggles to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Trump has made clear that he wants to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, repeatedly making the claim that he’s “ended seven wars” since he returned to office.

    He points to his administration’s efforts to end conflicts between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan, Rwanda and the Democratic Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Cambodia and Thailand.

    Although Trump helped mediate relations among many of these nations, experts say his impact isn’t as clear cut as he claims.

    Still, Trump’s Nobel ambitions could have impact on the tenor of his address, said Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington.

    “His speech is going to be driven by how much he really believes he has a chance of getting a Nobel Peace Prize,” Montgomery said. “If he thinks that’s still something he can do, then I think he knows you don’t go into the U.N. and drop a grenade down the tank hatch and shut it, right?”

    ___

    AP journalists Tracy Brown and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

    Source link

  • Russia launches a large-scale attack on Ukraine, killing 3 and wounding dozens

    KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack targeting regions across Ukraine early Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens more, Ukrainian officials said.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said attacks took place across nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy and Kharkiv.

    “The enemy’s target was our infrastructure, residential areas and civilian enterprises,” he said, adding that a missile equipped with cluster munitions struck a multi-story building in the city of Dnipro.

    “Each such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to intimidate civilians and destroy our infrastructure,” he said in a statement on his official Telegram.

    Zelenskyy said he expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week. He also said the first ladies of Ukraine and the United States would likely hold separate talks focused on humanitarian issues involving children.

    His comments, which he made on Friday, were embargoed until Saturday morning.

    At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, local governor Serhii Lysak said. Several high-rise buildings and homes were damaged in the eastern city of Dnipro.

    In the Kyiv region, local authorities said there were strikes in the areas of Bucha, Boryspil and Obukhiv. A home and cars were damaged. In the western region of Lviv, Gov. Maxim Kozytsky said two cruise missiles were shot down.

    Russia launched 619 drones and missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force said in a statement. In total, 579 drones, eight ballistic missiles and 32 cruise missiles were detected. Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 552 drones, two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles.

    “During the air strike, tactical aviation, in particular F-16 fighters, effectively worked on the enemy’s cruise missiles. Western weapons once again prove their effectiveness on the battlefield,” the Air Force said in a statement.

    Russia denies violating Estonia’s airspace

    Russia’s Defense Ministry denied its aircraft violated Estonia’s airspace, after Tallinn reported three fighter jets crossed into its territory on Friday without permission and remained there for 12 minutes.

    The incident, described by Estonia’s top diplomat as an “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion, happened just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland, heightening fears that Moscow’s war on Ukraine could spill over.

    In an online statement published early Saturday, Moscow stressed its fighter jets had kept to neutral Baltic Sea waters more than 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Estonia’s Vaindloo Island in the Gulf of Finland.

    “On September 19, three MiG-31 fighter jets completed a scheduled flight from Karelia to an airfield in the Kaliningrad region,” it said, referencing the Russian enclave sandwiched between Polish and Lithuanian territory.

    “The flight was conducted in strict compliance with international airspace regulations and did not violate the borders of other states, as confirmed through objective monitoring,” the statement said without providing details about the monitoring operation.

    On Friday, Estonian officials said Tallinn had summoned a Russian diplomat to protest, and also moved “to start consultations among the allies” under NATO’s Article 4, which states that parties would confer whenever the territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.

    Zelenskyy hopes to finalize security guarantees in New York meetings

    Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and its partners have laid the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and that he hopes to gauge how close they are to finalizing such commitments during next week’s meetings in New York.

    He said European nations are prepared to move forward with a framework if the United States remains closely engaged. He noted that discussions have taken place at multiple levels, including among military leadership and general staffs from both Europe and the U.S.

    “I would like to receive signals for myself on how close we are to understanding that the security guarantees from all partners will be the kind we need,” Zelenskyy said.

    Zelenskyy said sanctions against Russia must remain on the table if peace efforts stall, and that he plans to press the issue in talks with Trump.

    “If the war continues and there is no movement toward peace, we expect sanctions,” he said, adding that Trump is looking for strong steps from Europe.

    Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

    AP

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  • Ukrainian officials say 3 dead, dozens wounded in Russian attack

    Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack targeting regions across Ukraine early Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens more, Ukrainian officials said.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on his official Telegram that attacks took place across nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy and Kharkiv.

    “The enemy’s target was our infrastructure, residential areas and civilian enterprises,” he said, adding that a missile equipped with cluster munitions struck a multi-story building in the city of Dnipro.

    In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, a rescue worker puts out a fire of a residential house damaged by a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine. 

    Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP


    “Each such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to intimidate civilians and destroy our infrastructure,” he said.

    At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, local governor Serhii Lysak said. Several high-rise buildings and homes were damaged in the eastern city of Dnipro.

    In the Kyiv region, local authorities said there were strikes in the areas of Bucha, Boryspil and Obukhiv. A home and cars were damaged. In the western region of Lviv, Gov. Maxim Kozytsky said two cruise missiles were shot down.

    Russia launched 619 drones and missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force said in a statement. In total, 579 drones, eight ballistic missiles and 32 cruise missiles were detected. Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 552 drones, two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles.

    Russia Ukraine War

    In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, rescue workers put out a fire of a residential house damaged by a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine.

    Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP


    “During the air strike, tactical aviation, in particular F-16 fighters, effectively worked on the enemy’s cruise missiles. Western weapons once again prove their effectiveness on the battlefield,” the Air Force said in a statement.

    Russia denies violating Estonia’s airspace

    Russia’s Defense Ministry denied its aircraft violated Estonia’s airspace, after Tallinn reported three fighter jets crossed into its territory on Friday without permission and remained there for 12 minutes.

    The incident, described by Estonia’s top diplomat as an “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion, happened just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland, heightening fears that Moscow’s war on Ukraine could spill over.

    In an online statement published early Saturday, Moscow stressed its fighter jets had kept to neutral Baltic Sea waters more than 1.8 miles from Estonia’s Vaindloo Island in the Gulf of Finland.

    “On September 19, three MiG-31 fighter jets completed a scheduled flight from Karelia to an airfield in the Kaliningrad region,” it said, referencing the Russian enclave sandwiched between Polish and Lithuanian territory.

    “The flight was conducted in strict compliance with international airspace regulations and did not violate the borders of other states, as confirmed through objective monitoring,” the statement said without providing details about the monitoring operation.

    On Friday, Estonian officials said Tallinn had summoned a Russian diplomat to protest, and also moved “to start consultations among the allies” under NATO’s Article 4, which states that parties would confer whenever the territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.

    Zelenskyy hopes to finalize security guarantees in New York meetings

    Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and its partners have laid the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and that he hopes to gauge how close they are to finalizing such commitments during meetings at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week. 

    He said European nations are prepared to move forward with a framework if the United States remains closely engaged. He noted that discussions have taken place at multiple levels, including among military leadership and general staffs from both Europe and the U.S.

    “I would like to receive signals for myself on how close we are to understanding that the security guarantees from all partners will be the kind we need,” Zelenskyy said.

    United Nations General Assembly Commences In New York

    The United Nations headquarters on September 9, 2025, in New York City. 

    Spencer Platt / Getty Images


    Zelenskyy said he expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week. He also said the first ladies of Ukraine and the United States would likely hold separate talks focused on humanitarian issues involving children. His comments, which he made on Friday, were embargoed until Saturday morning.

    Zelenskyy said sanctions against Russia must remain on the table if peace efforts stall, and that he plans to press the issue in talks with Trump.

    “If the war continues and there is no movement toward peace, we expect sanctions,” he said, adding that Trump is looking for strong steps from Europe.

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  • Poland says it downed Russian drones in its airspace during Russian attacks on Ukraine

    Poland said Wednesday it had downed drones that entered its airspace during Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine.

    Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a post on X Wednesday that, “Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down. I am in constant communication with the Secretary General of NATO and our allies.”

    Poland’s military said Wednesday it had scrambled aircraft alongside allies to shoot down “hostile objects” violating its airspace, a first for a NATO country during the war.

    Apparent Russian drones and missiles have entered the airspace of NATO members — including Poland — several times during Russia’s three-and-a-half-year war, but no NATO country has ever tried to shoot them down.

    A cornerstone of the Western military alliance is the principle that an attack on any member is deemed an attack on all.

    A NATO source told Reuters the alliance isn’t treating the drone incursion into Polish territory as an attack and said early signs pointed to an incursion of six to ten Russian drones that was on purpose. “It was the first time NATO aircraft have engaged potential threats in allied airspace,” the source said.

    The military also said on X that, “As a result of attack by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory, there was an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by drone-type objects. This is an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens.”

    It said efforts were “underway to search for and locate the possible crash sites of these objects” and “the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces is monitoring the current situation, and Polish and allied forces and assets remain fully prepared for further actions.”

    Polish police said officers discovered a damaged drone in the eastern Polish village of Czosnowka, according to Reuters.

    Hours later, Poland’s military said on X that the operations had concluded but the search for downed drones was continuing. “We urge that in the event of observing an unknown object or its debris, do not approach, touch, or move it. Such elements may pose a threat and contain hazardous materials. They must be thoroughly inspected by the appropriate services,” the military cautioned.

    The Polish government announced it would hold an “extraordinary” meeting Wednesday morning.

    Polish State Fire Service Commander Wojciech Kruczek and General Wieslaw Kukula, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, gather on Sept. 10, 2025 at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw for an extraordinary government meeting, following violations of Polish airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine.

    Kacper Pempel / REUTERS


    The incursion came as Russia unleashed a barrage of strikes across Ukraine, including in the western city of Lviv, around 50 miles from the Polish border.

    UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-WAR

    Ukrainian air defenses fire at Russian drones above Kyiv during massive drone and missile strikes on Ukraine on Sept. 10, 2025

    SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP via Getty Images


    Warnings of further Russian aggression

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that eight Russian drones were “aimed toward” Poland in an overnight barrage that forced Warsaw to scramble air defenses. “It was not just one Shahed that could be called an accident, but at least eight strike drones aimed toward Poland,” Zelensky said, referring to Iranian-designed drones deployed by Moscow, adding that the incident represented “An extremely dangerous precedent for Europe.”  

    Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga, warned on X that Russian President Vladimir Putin “just keeps escalating, expanding his war, and testing the West. The longer he faces no strength in response, the more aggressive he gets. A weak response now will provoke Russia even more — and then Russian missiles and drones will fly even further into Europe.”

    Poland’s newly-elected nationalist President Karol Nawrocki issued a warning along the same lines Tuesday, saying at a news conference in Helsinki that, “We do not trust Vladimir Putin’s good intentions. We believe that Vladimir Putin is ready to also invade other countries.”

    European Union chief Ursula said Moscow had carried out a “reckless and unprecedented” violation of Polish airspace.

    And the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, posted on X Wednesday that “we saw the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began, and indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental. The EU stands in full solidarity with Poland. Russia’s war is escalating, not ending.”

    NATO-member Poland, a major supporter of Ukraine, hosts over a million Ukrainian refugees and is a key transit point for Western humanitarian and military aid to the war-torn country.

    Last month, Warsaw said a Russian military drone flew into its airspace and exploded in farmland in eastern Poland and depicted the incident as a “provocation.” In 2023, Poland said a Russian missile had crossed into its airspace to strike Ukraine. And in November 2022, two civilians were killed when a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile fell on a village near the border.

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  • Trump eyes new sanctions on Putin after largest-ever drone attack

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    President Donald Trump says he’s ready to punish Russia with a “second phase” of sanctions after it launched its largest-ever barrage of drone and missile strikes on Sunday, damaging a cabinet building and killing a mother and her baby. 

    “Yeah, I am,” Trump told a reporter, who asked whether he’s ready to move forward with more sanctions following months of failing to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to cease his military operations or meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

    Trump said he still has plans to chat with Putin “over the next couple of days” though it remains unclear what he hopes to get out of the latest conversation. 

    A family with a baby take shelter in a building basement during a Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 7, 2025. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

    RUSSIA HITS UKRAINE WITH LARGEST AIR ATTACK OF THE WAR AS TALKS OF PEACE FLICKER

    “Look, we’re going to get it done,” he told reporters on Sunday. “The Russia-Ukraine situation. We’re going to get it done.”

    Trump said he was “not thrilled” with Russia’s Sunday attack, which damaged the Cabinet of Ministers Building in Kyiv and killed four, including a mother and her baby, after 810 drones and 13 missiles were fired across Ukraine.

    Ukraine’s air force said it neutralized 747 drones and four of the fired missiles.

    “I am not thrilled with what’s happening there,” Trump said. “I believe we’re going to get it settled. But I am not happy with them. I’m not happy with anything having to do with that war.”

    Trump talks to reporters

    President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as leaves the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025.  (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

    PUTIN WARNS WESTERN TROOPS IN UKRAINE WOULD BE ‘LEGITIMATE TARGETS’

    The strike came just days after Putin alleged he was willing to meet with Zelenskyy so long as the Ukrainian leader traveled to Moscow – a move Western and Ukrainian officials alike said was not only a dangerous proposition for Zelenskyy, but lacked any real effort by Putin to engage in good faith negotiations to end the war. 

    Trump told reporters on Sunday that European leaders will also be heading to Washington D.C. this week to discuss next steps in ending the war, though he did not detail who will make the trip and whether Zelenskyy would be among them. 

    Putin said last month that his terms for ending the war would focus on freezing the front lines where they stand in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, but appeared to suggest that Ukraine would need to withdraw its forces from Donetsk and Luhansk, amid other stipulations.

    Ukrainian building hit during Russian drone and missile strike

    Rescue workers extinguish a fire in a 9-story apartment building in the Sviatoshynskyi district, hit by a Russian drone and partially destroyed from the 4th to the 8th floors in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 7, 2025. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    But on Monday, Ukraine’s military said it had recaptured the strategically important town of Zarichne in Donetsk – a region which Russia was assessed to occupy roughly 75% of last month.

    Zarichne sits near Luhansk – a region which Russia is assessed to nearly fully occupy – and is near key transport routes connecting strategically important cities in Donetsk. 

    Ukraine last month also said it had made advances in areas near Pokrovsk in western Donetsk, where Russian forces have been concentrating their summer operation efforts. 

    Reuters contributed to this report.

    Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.

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  • Trump to speak to Zelenskyy as European allies meet on security guarantees against Russia



    Trump to speak to Zelenskyy as European allies meet on security guarantees against Russia – CBS News










































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    President Trump is expected to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as European allies gather to discuss security guarantees. CBS News’ Natalie Brand reports.

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  • Trump commits to pursuing Russia-Ukraine peace: They are

    President Trump told CBS News on Wednesday that he remains committed to pursuing a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, despite mounting uncertainty over the prospect of face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

    Mr. Trump characterized his position as both realistic and optimistic, and said he is closely monitoring how both leaders are handling this crossroads in the negotiations.

    “I’ve been watching it, I’ve been seeing it, and I’ve been talking about it with President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” Mr. Trump said in a phone interview. “Something is going to happen, but they are not ready yet. But something is going to happen. We are going to get it done.”

    The president’s comments come as Russia continues to strike Ukraine. Late last month, Russia carried out a massive drone and missile attack against Ukraine’s capital, killing at least 15 people, including four children, according to a city official.

    Mr. Trump said he is unhappy with the carnage but will keep pushing for a peace agreement.

    “I think we’re going to get it all straightened out,” he said.

    “Frankly, the Russia one, I thought, would have been on the easier side of the ones I’ve stopped, but it seems to be something that’s a little bit more difficult than some of the others,” he said.

    Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Trump told reporters that he was watching as Putin joined the leaders of China and North Korea for a grand military parade in Beijing.

    “I understand the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching, and I was watching,” Mr. Trump said. “My relationship with all of them is very good. We’re going to find out how good it is over the next week or two.”

    Mr. Trump also told CBS News on Wednesday that his approach to many diplomatic negotiations, be it with Russia and Ukraine or with other warring nations, is to bring together key leaders into a room and have them broker an agreement in real time, often with his guidance on the transaction — and to not write off any possibility before that happens.

    That approach, he said, demands patience, even when a quick resolution is sought, but he believes it has paid off in other peace agreements this year.

    When asked whether he sometimes must “wait things out,” Mr. Trump replied, “Well, you have to do that.”

    “We’ve had some very good days, fortunately, and once I get them in a room together, or get them at least speaking together, they seem to work out. We’ve saved millions of lives.”

    Last month, ahead of his closely watched meeting with Putin in Alaska, Mr. Trump told reporters, “All I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly.”

    Beyond the Russia-Ukraine war, Mr. Trump has claimed in recent weeks that he should be credited for ending six or seven wars during this term and that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. White House officials have pointed to a list of seven conflicts the president is referencing: Israel and Iran, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Thailand and Cambodia, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo.

    Some foreign policy analysts have criticized Mr. Trump’s claim, saying that many of those conflicts remain unresolved or were not full-scale wars. Or they contended that Mr. Trump was not a central force in the discussions.

    Several Trump allies have told CBS News that Mr. Trump maintains that the work done by him and his administration has been crucial in furthering those negotiations.

    “A lot of times, they’re fighting each other for so long,” Mr. Trump told CBS News. “They’re fighting each other so long, they don’t even think in terms of peace. It just becomes a way of life. And when I get them together, I get the people in the room, I’m able to convince them. ‘Let’s go. Let’s make peace. It’s enough, already. You’ve lost enough lives.'”

    Mr. Trump told CBS News that he is not seeking the Nobel Peace Prize. The recipient of the 2025 prize is expected to be announced next month.

    “I have nothing to say about it,” Mr. Trump said. “All I can do is put out wars.” He added, “I don’t seek attention. I just want to save lives.”

    Robert Costa

    Robert Costa is a national correspondent for “CBS News Sunday Morning” and chief Washington analyst for CBS News.

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  • Europeans crafting “precise plans” for post-war Ukraine deployments, with Trump’s backing, EU leader says

    London — European countries are drawing up “precise plans” for international military deployments in Ukraine as part of security guarantees that could be implemented if a peace agreement is struck to end the war sparked by Russia’s ongoing invasion.

    Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, told the Financial Times in an interview published Sunday that there was a “clear road map” for possible post-war deployments, and that President Trump had agreed to ensure an unspecified “American presence” to help keep the peace.

    President Trump told Fox News on Aug. 19 that he will not deploy American troops to Ukraine as part of any ceasefire arrangement — a point that other members of his administration have made repeatedly.  

    “You have my assurance,” Mr. Trump told the network following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

    In her interview with the Financial Times, von der Leyen said Mr. Trump “reassured us that there will be [an] American presence as part of the backstop” to what she said would be a multinational troop deployment.

    President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen shakes hands with President Trump during a meeting at Trump Turnberry golf club, July 27, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland.

    Andrew Harnik/Getty


    The Trump administration has previously suggested the role of the United States in post-war peace-keeping efforts in Ukraine could be to provide coordination, rather than boots on the ground. In an interview with the Daily Caller published over the weekend, President Trump did not dismiss the suggestion that American jets could be used to assist European peacekeeping efforts on the ground.

    CBS News has contacted the White House seeking further context on any assurances European allies have been given by the administration regarding an American “backstop” for any multinational force that could eventually be deployed in Ukraine.

    The Kremlin has previously rejected the idea of European or NATO troops in Ukraine as part of any peace deal. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said recently that the Kremlin had “a negative attitude” toward discussion of such a Western military presence, claiming it was NATO interference that led to the start of the war in the first place.

    Ukraine has repeatedly called for international security guarantees – to prevent a new Russian invasion – as part of any eventual peace agreement with Russia.

    But three and a half years after Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale Russian invasion, there has been little indication of an imminent breakthrough in negotiations aimed at brokering a truce, despite Mr. Trump’s urging and his campaign trail promises to end the war quickly. 

    U.S. President Trump And Russian President Putin Meet On War In Ukraine At U.S. Air Base In Alaska

    President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet for their summit on the war in Ukraine, at a U.S. air base in Anchorage, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025.

    Getty


    He has voiced frustration repeatedly with both Zelenskyy and Putin, but more with Putin’s in recent weeks, for failing to stop the war.

    Zelenskyy’s administration – echoed by European partners – has repeatedly pointed to Russia’s ongoing strikes on civilian areas as evidence that Putin is merely playing for time, and not interested in a brokered peace deal while his forces continue to seize Ukrainian territory.

    The concern for many in Kyiv and Europe is that Russia could use any halt in the conflict as an opportunity to refortify its forces for a new invasion. Thus Kyiv’s repeated demands for security guarantees.

    The so-called “coalition of the willing,” which includes the British, German and French governments, has rallied behind Zelenskyy as he seeks Mr. Trump’s backing to push a ceasefire deal with Russia that doesn’t involve Ukraine agreeing to cede Russian-occupied territory.

    European Leaders Join Ukrainian President Zelensky For White House Meeting With Trump

    Following a summit in Alaska between Presidents Trump and Putin, Mr. Trump also met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and several European leaders who form the so-called “coalition of the willing.”

    Win McNamee/Getty


    President Trump and his aides have stressed, however, that both sides in the war will have to make concessions to end the fighting.

    “The sense of urgency is very high. It’s really taking shape,” von der Leyen told the Financial Times. “[Trump] wants peace and Putin is not coming to the negotiation table.”

    In a speech delivered during a visit to China on Monday, Putin said he had reached “understandings” with Mr. Trump during their meeting in Alaska about ending the war in Ukraine. 

    But despite the U.S. president’s public optimism on the matter, and a two-week deadline he set Putin to end the war or face a new round of sanctions, no major progress has been reported in the negotiations, and the Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities continues daily.

    Speaking to reporters Monday in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the “European party of war” of hindering U.S.-led efforts to negotiate a peace deal.

    “We are ready to resolve the problem by political and diplomatic means,” Peskov said, according to the Reuters news agency. “But so far we do not see reciprocity from Kyiv in this. So we shall continue the special military operation.”

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  • Trump expresses some doubt over one-on-one meeting between Putin, Zelenskyy

    President Trump, in an interview with the Daily Caller, a conservative U.S. news site, that was published Saturday, said he believed three-way talks involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and himself would still happen.

    After his separate meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy this month, Mr. Trump said he was arranging face-to-face talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders and then he might meet with the two if necessary. But in the Daily Caller interview, Trump expressed less confidence he will be able to arrange those bilateral talks between Zelenskyy and Putin.

    “We got along. You saw it, we’ve had a good relationship over the years, very good, actually,” Mr. Trump said of Putin. “That’s why I really thought we would have this done. I would have loved to have had it done.”

    Mr. Trump added, “A tri would happen. A bi, I don’t know about, but a tri will happen.”

    For his part, Zelenskyy on Friday expressed frustration with what he called Russia’s lack of constructive engagement. He accused Russia of dragging out negotiations, including by putting off a Russia-Ukraine summit with the argument that the groundwork for a possible peace settlement must be thrashed out first by lower officials before leaders meet.

    That reasoning, Zelenskyy told reporters, is “artificial … because they want to show the United States that they are constructive, but they are not constructive.”

    “In my opinion, leaders must urgently be involved to reach agreements,” Zelenskyy added.

    Ukraine has accepted a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire and a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, but Moscow has raised objections. Mr. Trump said last week he would know within two weeks whether Russia was serious about entering negotiations.

    Ukraine’s European allies have accused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian troops move deeper into the country.

    Moscow’s forces are waging a “nonstop” offensive along almost the whole 620-mile front line in Ukraine, and have the “strategic initiative,” the chief of Russia’s general staff said Saturday. Valery Gerasimov’s address to his deputies was published by Russia’s Defense Ministry.

    Since March, Moscow has taken more than 1,351 square miles of Ukrainian territory, and captured 149 settlements, Gerasimov said. It was not immediately possible to verify the situation on the battlefield.

    Russian forces this month broke into Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, a Ukrainian military official said Wednesday, pressing into an eighth Ukrainian province in a possible bid to strengthen the Kremlin’s negotiating hand. Gerasimov on Saturday said Moscow’s troops have so far taken seven settlements in Dnipropetrovsk.

    Russia launched a large aerial attack on southern Ukraine, officials said Saturday, two days after a rare airstrike on central Kyiv killed 23 people and damaged European Union diplomatic offices.

    Among other locations hit, the assault overnight into Saturday struck a five-story residential building, killing at least one civilian and wounding 28 people, including children, in the Zaporizhzhia region, Gov. Ivan Fedorov reported.

    Russia launched 537 strike drones and decoys, as well as 45 missiles, according to Ukraine’s air force. Ukrainian forces shot down or neutralized 510 drones and decoys and 38 missiles, it said.

    The Kremlin on Thursday said Russia remained interested in continuing peace talks, despite the air attack on Kyiv that was one of the largest and deadliest since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

    And following another overnight attack on Aug. 21 in which Russia targeted Ukraine with 574 drones and 40 missiles, Zelenskyy criticized Moscow for launching the strike “as if nothing had changed at all. As if there were no efforts by the world to stop this war.”

    “So far, there has been no signal from Moscow that they are really going to engage in meaningful negotiations and end this war. Pressure is needed. Strong sanctions, strong tariffs,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media at the time.   

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  • Massive Russian attack on Ukraine’s capital leaves several dead and dozens wounded, officials say

    Kyiv, Ukraine — A massive Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine’s capital early Thursday, including a rare strike in the center of the city, killed at least 12 people and wounded some 48, local authorities said.

    It was the first major Russian combined attack on Kyiv in weeks as U.S.-led peace efforts to end the three-year war struggled to gain traction.

    Russia launched 598 strike drones and decoys and 31 missiles of different types across the country, according to Ukraine’s Air Force, making it one of the war’s biggest air attacks. Ukraine’s forces shot down and neutralized all but 41 of them, its Air Force said.

    Firefighters work at the site of a burning building after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 28, 2025.

    Efrem Lukatsky / AP


    Among the dead were two children, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said, citing preliminary information. The numbers were expected to rise. Rescue teams were on site to pull out people trapped underneath the rubble.

    “Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X following the attack. “We expect a response from everyone in the world who has called for peace but now more often stays silent rather than taking principled positions.”

    Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Thursday it shot down 102 Ukrainian drones overnight, mostly in the country’s southwest. A drone attack sparked a blaze at the Afipsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, local officials said, while a second fire was reported at the Novokuibyshevsk refinery in the Samara region.

    Ukrainian drones have repeatedly struck refineries and other oil infrastructure in recent weeks in an attempt to weaken Russia’s war economy, causing gas stations in some Russian regions to run dry and prices to spike.

    Moscow denies targeting civilians but has increased strikes in the last few months on cities and towns a long way from the war’s front lines.

    Russia launched decoy drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city administration. At least 20 locations across seven districts of Kyiv were impacted. Nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall, and thousands of windows were shattered, he said.

    Aftermath of a Russian missile and drone attack in Kyiv

    A man embraces a child as they stand at the site of buildings hit by Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine on August 28, 2025.

    Alina Smutko / REUTERS


    Russian strikes hit the central part of Kyiv, one of the few times Russian attacks have reached the heart of the city since the start of the full-scale invasion. Residents cleared shattered glass and debris from damaged buildings.

    Smoke billowed from the crumbled column of a five-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district that suffered a direct hit. An acrid stench of burning material wafted in the air as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

    Amid the destruction, emergency responders searched for survivors and extracted bodies. Crowds of residents stood nearby, waiting for relatives to be retrieved from the rubble. Bodies in black bags were placed at the side of the building.

    Residents in the neighborhood said it wasn’t the first time their district was targeted.

    Oleksandr Khilko arrived at the scene after a missile hit the residential building where his sister lives. He heard screams from people who were trapped under the rubble and pulled out three survivors, including a boy.

    “It’s inhuman, striking civilians,” he said, his clothes covered in dust and the tips of his fingers black with soot. “With every cell of my body I want this war to end as soon as possible. I wait, but every time the air raid alarm sounds, I am afraid.” 

    Ukraine’s national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported damage to its infrastructure in the Vinnytsia and Kyiv regions, causing delays and forcing trains to use alternative routes.

    Ukraine’s national power grid operator said Russia’s attack damaged facilities in several regions, prompting local power cuts, the Reuters news agency reported. An attack on critical infrastructure in the Vinnytsia region cut power to tens of thousands of customers, regional officials said.

    Thursday’s attack is the first major combined Russian mass drone and missile attack to strike Kyiv since President Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

    While a diplomatic push for peace appeared to gain momentum shortly after that meeting, few details have emerged about next steps.

    Western leaders have accused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian troops move deeper into Ukraine. This week, Ukrainian military leaders conceded Russian forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine seeking to capture more ground.

    Zelenskyy hopes for harsher U.S. sanctions to cripple the Russian economy if Putin doesn’t demonstrate seriousness about ending the war. He reiterated those demands following Thursday’s attack.

    “All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined,” Zelenskyy said.

    Mr. Trump bristled this week at Putin’s stalling on an American proposal for direct peace talks with Zelenskyy. He said Friday he expects to decide on next steps in two weeks if direct talks aren’t scheduled.

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