By The Independent (World News) | Created at 2024-09-24 09:50:18 | Updated at 2024-09-30 09:30:44
5 days ago
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine was “closer to the end of the war” with Russia than many people realise.
Mr Zelensky is currently in Washington DC to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He added Vladimir Putin is “afraid” of Ukraine’s Kursk operation, in which it has taken more than 1,000 square km of Russian territory.
“I think that we are closer to peace than we think,” he told ABC in an interview that is due to be released in full on Tuesday.
“That’s why we’re asking our friends, our allies, to strengthen us. It’s very important.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been adamant peace talks will only begin if Kyiv abandons swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine to Russia and drops its NATO membership ambitions.
In Kursk, the situation remains “serious” around a Russian nuclear power plant some 40km from territory seized by Ukraine, according to UN nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi.
Russia will achieve all its aims in Ukraine, Kremlin says
Russia has no alternative but to achieve all of its aims in the “special military operation” in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Peskov said that as soon as the aims were achieved, the military operation would end.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been adamant peace talks will only begin if Kyiv abandons swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine to Russia and drops its NATO membership ambitions.
Jabed Ahmed24 September 2024 10:34
Special report: Putin’s forces are desperate for a prize eastern city and Ukraine will fight street to street to keep them out
Askold Krushelnycky reports from Ukraine:
Jabed Ahmed24 September 2024 10:09
Pictured: Rescuers at residential building hit by Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Jabed Ahmed24 September 2024 09:55
Exclusive: Zelensky demands UK extradites political opponent in Ukraine Orthodox Church row
Our political editor David Maddox reports:
Jabed Ahmed24 September 2024 09:30
Zelensky’s victory plan will be defining for war in Ukraine, UK defence secretary says
Volodymyr Zelensky’s victory plan will be “defining” for the next period of the conflict in Ukraine, Defence Secretary John Healey has said.
Speaking at a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Mr Healey also said the UK will support Ukraine “at any point when they decide they may want to stop” fighting and announced a joint specialist unit between his department and the Foreign Office to facilitate aid.
The Ukrainian leader is set to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and will present President Joe Biden with a “victory plan”.
The plan is set to include long-range striking capabilities and other weapons long sought by Kyiv, and will serve as the basis for any future negotiation with Russia.
Mr Healey told the event at conference that what is next for Ukraine “is going to be defined for us all if President Zelensky delivers what he’s trailed” in his promise to turn up in New York with a victory plan.
Jabed Ahmed24 September 2024 09:08
Russian attack on Ukraine's Poltava region disrupts power supply, authorities say
Russia’s overnight attack on Ukraine‘s central region of Poltava damaged energy infrastructure, cutting power to 20 settlements, authorities have said.
Debris from falling drones damaged several homes, but caused no casualties, regional governor Filip Pronin said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app, while emergency services scrambled to tackle the power situation.
“Debris also damaged the energy infrastructure in Poltava region, leaving 20 settlements without power,” he added.
In the northeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Monday’s attack killed one person and injured at least seven, among them a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, the regional governor, Ivan Fedorov, said in an update.
The Ukrainian air force shot down 66 drones but lost track of 13 among the 81 unmanned aerial vehicles Russia launched in the overnight attack, along with four missiles, it said on Telegram.
Authorities have doused two fires in the Kyiv region sparked by the overnight attack, but no homes or critical facilities were hit, regional governor Ruslan Kravchenko said.
Jabed Ahmed24 September 2024 08:48
Ukraine says China is key route for foreign tech in Russian weapons
Around 60 per cent of the foreign parts found in Russian weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine come via China, Ukraine‘s presidential adviser Vladyslav Vlasiuk told reporters on Tuesday.
“If you take all the usual types of weapons and count the foreign made components about 60% would be coming from China. We have had lengthy discussions with some manufacturers about this,” Vlasiuk said.
“The PRC (China) is the biggest problem I would say.”
Jabed Ahmed24 September 2024 08:19
Trump calls Zelensky ‘greatest salesman’ as Ukrainian president visits Washington
Donald Trump has called Volodymyr Zelensky a “salesman” again as the Ukrainian leader held several meetings with allies to support Ukraine against Russian invasion. Mr Trump has not offered to help Kyiv against Moscow so far.
“I think Zelensky is the greatest salesman in history. Every time he comes into the country, he walks away with 60 billion dollars,” Mr Trump said at a rally in western Pennsylvania. “He wants them to win this election so badly, but I would do differently – I will work out peace.”
Mr Trump also claimed that Zelensky wanted the Democrats to win the 2024 US election, in which the former president faces vice president Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate.
Harris’ campaign has called out Mr Trump for not having said he wants Ukraine to win the war.
“Vice president Harris understands that if America walks away from Ukraine, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe and our Nato allies,” said Morgan Finkelstein, the national security spokesperson for Harris’ campaign.
Arpan Rai24 September 2024 08:02
Around 20 settlements in Ukraine without power after Russian attack
Russia’s overnight attack on Ukraine’s central Poltava region damaged energy infrastructure which cut power to 20 settlements, local authorities said.
The attack also damaged several private residences in the region without causing any casualties, Poltava’s regional governor said in a statement.
Arpan Rai24 September 2024 07:45
One killed in Russia’s attack on Zaporizhzhia
At least one person was killed and four more were injured in a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia overnight, the local emergency services said this morning.
The injured include two children, officials said.
Russian forces launched fresh strikes on the southeastern city housing Europe’s largest nuclear power plant yesterday evening, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Strikes on the city earlier yesterday and the previous night wounded at least 23.
Arpan Rai24 September 2024 07:06
