The Wall Street Journal
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Trump announces Russia–Ukraine energy-strike deal; Kyiv says no agreement exists yet
On September 14, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to mutually stop targeting each other's energy facilities. Neither Kyiv nor Moscow confirmed the claim. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to refrain from striking Russian infrastructure only if partners guarantee Russia would stop striking Ukrainian energy and other critical infrastructure, and he stressed no final deal exists.
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U.S. House to vote next week on Graham-Blumenthal Russia sanctions bill
The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote next week on the Graham-Blumenthal Russia sanctions bill (H.R. 5334), which would authorize sweeping new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia's energy sector, defense industry and shadow fleet. The vote follows the recent death of the bill's chief Senate sponsor, Senator Lindsey Graham, and faces bipartisan resistance over its tariff provisions.
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Trump–Putin call fuels peace hopes as Ukraine reports $27bn shortfall and deep drone strike hits Russia
US President Donald Trump said after a phone call with Vladimir Putin on 8 September that Putin wants a deal to end the war, raising the prospect of bilateral or trilateral leader-level meetings. US, Ukrainian and European officials publicly doubted Putin's seriousness, while Ukraine disclosed it needs an additional $27 billion to get through the year. The diplomatic activity coincided with a Ukrainian drone strike on a facility in Russia's Yamal region, described by Kyiv as its deepest inside Russia since 2022, and Russian attacks on multiple Ukrainian regions that killed at least six people.
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Lavrov calls Germany's response to Leipzig drone incident "the beginning of a real war"
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Germany's reaction to an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport as "the beginning of a real war," drawing an analogy to pre-World War II diplomatic closures. Germany officially accused Russia on September 1 of orchestrating the incident, closed Russia's last consulate general in Bonn, and terminated the agreement for the "Russian House" in Berlin. Russia retaliated by announcing closures of German Goethe-Institut branches. No one was injured and Ukrainian Antonov aircraft were not damaged, though the An-124's cargo remains disputed.
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Croatia postpones extradition hearing for Ukrainian in Nord Stream case after Germany adds "war crime" charge
A Croatian court postponed a 4 September hearing on the extradition of Ukrainian Volodymyr Zhuravlov to Germany in the Nord Stream sabotage case. The postponement came after German prosecutors updated the European arrest warrant to add a "war crime" qualification to the existing charges. Zhuravlov's defense team, law firm Katerynchuk, Moor and Partners, said the change opens a new stage in fighting for his rights.
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Trump says he'll meet Putin only when Russia and Ukraine are ready to sign a peace deal
On September 2, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately, but wants the meeting to happen only when Russia and Ukraine are ready to conclude a peace agreement. Trump cited personal animosity between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin as the main obstacle to a deal, and suggested the war's end is "pretty close."