Putin
Vladimir Putin is a Russian politician who has served as President of the Russian Federation since 2000, with a break from 2008 to 2012 when he held the office of Prime Minister.
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51 UN member states call on Russia to agree to unconditional ceasefire; US does not join
On 23 September, during the High-Level Week of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, a group of UN member states issued a joint statement calling on Russia to agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire and engage in meaningful peace negotiations. The statement, presented by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, notes that Ukraine had already agreed to such a ceasefire since March 2025. The United States did not join the appeal.
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At UN General Assembly, Zelensky calls Putin 'patient zero' of global war, unveils FREYJA air-defense program, and warns of painful winter for Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, calling Vladimir Putin a "patient zero" spreading war, announcing the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, and disclosing that Russia is using citizens of 47 countries in its war against Ukraine. He detailed Ukrainian strike figures, threatened retaliation against Russian energy infrastructure this winter, and unveiled the FREYJA anti-missile defense program with 10 partner countries. The speech followed a day of high-level diplomacy, including his meeting with US President Donald Trump and a Rubio-Lavrov exchange on a possible energy ceasefire.
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Zelensky and Trump meet in New York: energy ceasefire, Patriot production and a push to end the war before winter
On September 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. Zelensky proposed a mutual energy ceasefire, raised licensing of Patriot interceptor missile production in Ukraine, and said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin with Trump's help. Trump said the war will end "sooner than people realize" and warned he is ready to use the newly-signed "Graham law" sanctions against Russia.
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EU extends Ukraine-related sanctions three years but drops Usmanov and Fridman in compromise
EU ambassadors agreed on 22 September to extend the bloc's individual sanctions related to Ukraine's territorial integrity for 36 months, until 22 September 2029, in a compromise that removes Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. Latvia, the only holdout, lifted its veto and abstained, and announced it will impose its own national sanctions against the two men.
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Macron at UNGA calls for more interceptor missiles for Ukraine and a 'double moratorium' on strikes
French President Emmanuel Macron used his September 22 address to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York to call for more interceptor missiles for Ukraine ahead of winter, propose a "double moratorium" on strikes against energy and civilian infrastructure and on hostilities in the Black Sea, and urge reform of the UN Security Council. He framed Russia's war on Ukraine as part of a "new era of barbarity" and said "there can be no peace without justice." On the sidelines he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump to discuss the moratorium and a winter support package.
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Ukrainian drone strike halts Moscow oil refinery on day of State Duma vote
On the night of 20 September, Ukrainian forces struck the Gazpromneft-Moscow refinery in the Kapotnya district of Moscow with a combined drone and missile attack, setting both primary crude distillation units ablaze and forcing a full halt of oil processing. Ukraine's General Staff says cumulative strikes have now knocked out more than 45% of Russia's designed oil refining capacity. The attack fell on the day of Russia's State Duma election, with Moscow authorities not activating air raid sirens or SMS warnings, an omission analysts at the Institute for the Study of War linked to a priority on voter turnout over civilian safety.
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EU Coreper fails to extend Russia sanctions as Slovakia and France push to delist oligarchs
EU ambassadors meeting on 21 September failed to reach consensus on extending the bloc's individual sanctions regime against Russia, which covers roughly 3,000 individuals and entities including Vladimir Putin. Slovakia and France insisted on delisting sanctioned oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman; a compromise deal that would have extended the regime for 36 months in exchange for delisting them collapsed after Latvia blocked it. Coreper scheduled a further meeting for the morning of 22 September, hours before the midnight deadline at which the entire regime would lapse without unanimous renewal. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha publicly called any delisting unacceptable and a wrong signal to Moscow.
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Kyiv and Moscow both reportedly frustrated with US envoy Witkoff as peace talks stall
Ukrainian and Russian sources describe dissatisfaction with US special envoy Steve Witkoff's role in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, citing incompetence and misunderstanding of Russian positions. The White House has rejected the reporting as "fake news and nonsense."
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Trump signs Graham Act, codifying US sanctions for forced deportation of Ukrainian children
US President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (H.R. 5334) on 18 September, putting into statute for the first time sanctions grounds for the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. The law also authorizes sweeping tariffs on Russian energy buyers and direct Russian imports, and bans new US investments in Russia.
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NATO's top general says Alliance ready for possible Russian escalation on eastern flank
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, said on 19 September in Copenhagen that NATO is prepared to respond to a possible Russian escalation on the Alliance's eastern flank. His remarks came at a meeting of NATO's 32 top military chiefs, against a backdrop of warnings from several European countries about Russian hybrid threats and a recent spike in airspace violations and sabotage attempts.
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Trump signs 'Graham Act' imposing up to 100% tariffs on buyers of Russian energy
US President Donald Trump signed the 'Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026' on September 18, 2026 (overnight into September 19 Kyiv time). The law authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries that remain among the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, and continues existing US sanctions against Iran. China, India, and Turkey are named as the most likely targets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Trump and Congress, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the signing a 'truly historic day.'
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EU to send Ukraine additional €3.3 billion for missiles and drones
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced, after a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, that the EU would allocate an additional €3.3 billion to Ukraine for missiles and drones, to be disbursed on Friday, 18 September, under the Ukraine Support Loan program. The announcement was paired with a proposed new joint EU–Ukraine defense initiative, funded through remaining SAFE program funds, aimed at developing a European air and missile defense system based on the joint Freya/Freyja anti-ballistic system.
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Le Pen says France can no longer provide Ukraine with the same level of financial aid
Marine Le Pen, informal leader of France's far-right National Rally party, said in an LCI interview reported by Le Figaro that France can no longer afford to provide Ukraine with the same level of financial assistance due to the country's deteriorating financial situation. She insisted the position "is not an act of hostility toward Ukraine" and said France can continue to train Ukrainian soldiers and supply equipment for self-defence.
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U.S. House passes sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill, sending it to Trump
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for signature. The bill imposes mandatory sanctions on Russian leadership, oligarchs, banks, energy firms and the shadow fleet, and authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on countries among the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas. Ukraine welcomed the measure; China, India and Russia sharply criticized it; Germany praised it; Hungary is seeking an exemption.
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Russian Major General Anton Grunis killed in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's drone forces claim strike
Russian Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the 4th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, was killed in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi said the 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion "Rarog" carried out the strike on September 12. Grunis had earlier briefed Vladimir Putin about the alleged capture of Kostiantynivka, a claim Ukraine denies.
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Russian drone strike on passenger bus in Nikopol kills five, Zelenskyy calls it an atrocity
A Russian drone struck a passenger bus in Ukraine's Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the morning of 16 September, killing five people and wounding at least seven, according to the regional military administration. All five died at the scene and the injured are receiving medical care. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strike as an atrocity with no military rationale, and Dnipropetrovsk regional council chairman Mykola Lukaschuk accused Russia of deliberately targeting a minibus carrying civilians on their daily routes.
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EU proposes largest-ever sanctions package against Russia's military-industrial complex
On 16 September, the European External Action Service presented a new sanctions package to EU ambassadors listing 1,576 individuals and entities connected to Russia's military-industrial complex. According to a source, it would be the largest single addition to the EU's Ukraine-related sanctions regime since its creation in 2014. The proposal still requires technical review and further approval by member-state ambassadors.
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Kim Jong Un pledges to deepen cooperation with Russia, backs 'sacred war' against Ukraine
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent Vladimir Putin a message pledging to expand and deepen cooperation with Russia across all areas and expressing confidence in Russia's victory in what he called a "sacred war." The message, sent on Monday via the state news agency KCNA, was a response to Putin's congratulatory letter on North Korea's 78th founding anniversary.
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Valdai Discussion Club moved from Sochi to Moscow Oblast over Ukrainian drone threat
The annual Valdai Discussion Club meeting, traditionally held in Sochi each autumn, has been relocated to Moscow Oblast because of security concerns linked to intensified Ukrainian drone attacks, the Financial Times reported, citing four sources. About 120 invited participants learned in August that the venue had changed, after initially receiving invitations to Sochi; the forum is scheduled for 28 September to 1 October.
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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.