President Volodymyr Zelensky urged a global front against Russian aggression in a dramatic speech to the UN General Assembly. “The goal of the present war against Ukraine is to turn our lands, our people, our resources into a weapon against you, against the international rules-based order,” he said.
US President Joe Biden said Russia was betting the world will grow weary of supporting Ukraine and it was incumbent upon UN members to stand firm.
In Moscow, a court rejected an appeal by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against his pre-trial detention, according to Russian state media. The US journalist has been detained since March.
Analysis: Biden acknowledges the old world order needs a refresh in address to the UN
From CNN's Zachary B. Wolf
President Joe Biden addressed the United Nations Tuesday and urgedthe world to stand by Ukraine. At times, it feltlike he was alsoimploring the countries to stick with the United Nations.
While Biden called international institutions created at the end of World War II – the UN, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization and others – “an enduring bedrock of our progress,” he also acknowledged the need to reorient them toward a changing world.
He reiterated support for expanding the UN Security Council, although it’s hard to see how countries like Russia, China or the US, for that matter, would give up the permanent veto power that affords them so much power.
Speaking before Biden, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who wants to turn his country into a leader of the southern hemisphere, said the Security Council “has been progressively losing its credibility” precisely because a few countries wield so much power.
And by using the words“regime change,” a term more associated with the US, he can’t have been only referring to Russia.
Most of Biden’s address did not actually focus on Ukraine. Instead, he talked abouthow climate change, inequality and other cross-border issues require the structure of an inclusive international order.
The UN is an organization whose efficacy has been questioned for years; whose influence has waned due tobureaucracy and deadlock; and whose charter was inarguably violated by Russia. But Russia has tried to build support among developing nations.
Biden thanks international counterparts for working "to support the world's most vulnerable"
From CNN's DJ Judd
Biden speaks while hosting the United Nations General Assembly leaders' reception at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, on Tuesday, September 19.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
President Joe Biden thanked fellow leaders for their work in addressing global challenges, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in remarks to the United Nations Leader’s Reception at the New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The president made reference to Russia, observing that the world stands poised at a moment where “basic principles like sovereignty, territorial integrity, universal human rights are being tested.” He said a member of “the United Nations Security Council has launched a brazen and brutal attack against the people of Ukraine — attacks that go against the very character of the United Nations.”
Amidst those global issues, Biden said “you have worked to support the world’s most vulnerable — so tonight, my message is simple, thank you, thank you, thank you — and keep it up.”
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Defeating Russia is the "only guarantee of peace," Polish president tells CNN
From CNN's Caitlin Hu and David Shortell
Western support for Ukraine as it defends against Russia has globally significant consequences, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday, urging Kyiv’s backers to remain steadfast.
Poland and Ukraine share a lengthy border, an area where the war resonated fiercely on Tuesday after Russian drones struck warehouses in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
There is no compromise solution, Duda also said — a position shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Both leaders took the podium in New York on Tuesday morning, as the United Nations General Debate got underway.
Poland has been an ally of Ukraine since the Russian invasion, taking in more than a million Ukrainian refugees and leading the way in urging NATO partners to send more military supplies to Kyiv.
In the spring, Poland became the first NATO country to send fighter jets to Ukraine – months ahead of the US, which only agreed last month to approve the transfer of F-16 fighter jets, pending the completion of training by Ukrainian forces.
"It's not about politics, it's about these people," Zelensky says on visiting injured Ukrainian soldiers in US
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the main purpose of his visit to the United Nations General Assembly was to support soldiers fighting to defend their country.
Zelensky visited Monday with Ukrainian soldiers undergoing rehabilitation at a hospital in Staten Island, New York.
Zelensky urges Trump to share Ukraine peace plan but says he will not cede territory to Russia
From CNN's Jeremy Herb
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to CNN's Wolf Blitzer during an interview on Tuesday, September 19, in New York.
CNN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Donald Trump to share his peace plans publicly if the former US president has a way to end the war between Ukraine and Russia ¸— but he cautioned that any peace plan under which Kyiv gives up territory would be unacceptable.
Pressed Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about whether the deal would let Putin keep the land he’s taken, Trump said, “No, no. I’d make a fair deal for everybody. Nope, I’d make it fair.”
Trump, asked at the time whether it would be a win for Putin, said, “You know, that’s something that could have been negotiated. Because there were certain parts, Crimea and other parts of the country, that a lot of people expected could happen. You could have made a deal. So they could have made a deal where there’s lesser territory right now than Russia’s already taken, to be honest.”
Zelensky’s trip to the United Nations comes as Ukraine is facing its stiffest headwinds in the US to date over support for the war.
A faction of the House GOP conference is openly hostile to providing Ukraine with any additional military aid, and it remains unclear whether House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will be willing to sign off on more funding.
Zelensky said he’s planning to meet with McCarthy when he travels to Washington, DC, later this week. He is also scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden during his trip.
Asked about those skeptical of offering more funding to Ukraine, Zelensky said that it was difficult for those who have not seen war up close to compare domestic problems like civil rights or energy to the existential threat facing a country under attack.
“It’s so difficult to understand when you are in war, and when you are not in war,” Zelensky said.
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Iran accuses the US of “fanning the flames of violence” in Ukraine
From CNN's Karen Smith
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, September 19.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi accused the US of “fanning the flames of violence” in Ukraine.
“We support any initiative for a cessation of hostilities in the war and we support any political measure,” he said. ”We fully announce our support for such initiatives.”
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At least 6 civilians killed in Russian missile attack on Kupiansk, local officials say
From CNN’s Mariya Knight and Eyad Kourdi
At least six civilians were killed in a Russian missile attack on Kupiansk, a city in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine, according to the local police and Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office.
As a result, a bridge over the Oskil River was destroyed and several cars were damaged, according to Kharkiv regional police.
The attack took place when “a car with volunteers was crossing the bridge to evacuate civilians,” according to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
“It was established that four men and two women were killed,” the office said.
Kharkiv regional authorities said more than 2,000 people have left the Kupiansk district last week amid the intensified Russian shelling.
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Zelensky appeals to world leaders at UN General Assembly to unite against Russia. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.
Mike Segar/Reuters
In his first in-person appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on world leaders to unite to defeat Russia.
During his address in New York on Tuesday, Zelensky warned leaders at the UNGA that the goal of Russia with its invasion is “not only about Ukraine.”
First, he gave the example of Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea ports, which makes it hard for Ukraine to ship its food grains, raising concerns about rising food prices contributing to global hunger.
“Kremlin weaponized oil and gas to weaken the leaders of other countries,” he said, adding that “Now, now this threat is even greater.”
“It is also turning other country’s power plants into real dirty bombs. Look, please, what Russia did to our Zaporizhzhia power plant — shelled it, occupied it and then blackmails others with radiation leaks,” he continued.
He went on to say that Russia must be stopped. “We must act united to defeat the aggressor and focus all our capabilities and energy on addressing these challenges. As nukes are restrained, likewise, the aggressor must be restrained,” Zelensky said
Here are the latest developments:
Biden says US fully supports Ukraine in UN speech: During his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, US President Joe Biden said supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion is “not only investment in Ukraine’s future, but in the future of every country” that values the basic UN rules of sovereignty and territorial integrity “that apply equally to all nations” big and small.
G7 foreign ministers express concern over Russia and North Korea relationship: At a dinner of the G7 foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday night, “there was great concern in the room about what Russia and (North Korea) might be up to together,” a senior State Department official said Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week traveled to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin, and the two held what the Kremlin called “very substantive” discussions.
European Commission proposes extension of temporary protection for people fleeing Ukraine: The proposed extension from March 4, 2024, to March 3, 2025, “will provide certainty and support for more than 4 million persons enjoying protection across the EU,” the commission said. The EU activated a Temporary Protection Directive in March 2022 and member states unanimously agreed to automatically extend it by one year.
US government shutdown could impact military aid to Ukraine: The delivery of military equipment, as well as the ongoing training of Ukrainian forces by the US, “could be impacted by furloughs of personnel and DoD’s suspension” of all activities deemed not essential to US national security in the event of a shutdown, Pentagon spokesperson Chris Sherwood said.
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Ukrainian foreign minister calls for an end to Russia's "nuclear blackmail" after meeting with IAEA chief
From CNN’s Eyad Kourdi and Yulia Kesaieva
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba reiterated Ukraine’s call for an end to what he described as Russia’s “nuclear blackmail” at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, following a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in New York.
Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United Nations General Assembly that Russia is turning other countries’ power plants into “dirty bombs.”
“Russia is weaponizing nuclear energy. Not only it is spreading its unreliable nuclear power plant construction technologies, but it is also turning other countries’ power plants into real dirty bombs.” Zelensky said.
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Ukraine’s special services "likely" behind strikes on Wagner-backed forces in Sudan, military source tells CNN
From CNN's Victoria Butenko, Nima Elbagir, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Tamara Qiblawi, Allegra Goodwin, Andrew Carey, Pallabi Munsi, Mahamat Tahir Zene, Barbara Arvanitidis and Alex Platt
RSF vehicles are attacked in drone strikes that a Ukrainian military source said was "likely" conducted by Ukraine's special services.
Obtained by CNN
Ukrainian special services were likely behind a series of drone strikes and a ground operation directed against a Wagner-backed militia near Sudan’s capital, a CNN investigation has found, raising the prospect that the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spread far from the frontlines.
The operation involved a series of attacks on the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is believed to be receiving assistance from Wagner, the Russian mercenary group, in its fight against the Sudanese army for control of the country.
CNN was unable to independently confirm Ukraine’s involvement in the series of strikes. But video footage obtained by CNN revealed the hallmarks of Ukrainian-style drone attacks.
Two commercially available drones widely used by Ukrainians were involved in at least eight of the strikes, with Ukrainian text seen on the drone controller. Experts also said the tactics used — namely the pattern of drones swooping directly into their target — were highly unusual in Sudan and the wider African region.
Covert strikes by Ukraine in Sudan would mark a dramatic and provocative expansion of Kyiv’s theater of war against Moscow. Aside from a string of Ukrainian drone attacks that hit deep inside Russian territory, Ukraine’s ongoing counter-offensive has been focused on the country’s occupied east and south.
Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks, which were captured in the drone footage. Portions of those videos have been circulating on social media since Thursday. Footage of the ground operation has not previously been published.
A high-level Sudanese military source said he had “no knowledge of a Ukrainian operation in Sudan” and did not believe it was true.
Multiple US officials appeared unaware of the alleged incident and expressed surprise at the suggestion that the strikes and ground operation may have been conducted by Ukrainian forces.
The videos, which alternate between the pilot’s view, the viewpoint of a drone observing from overhead and the controller itself, show a succession of drone strikes in and around Omdurman, a city across the Nile River from the capital Khartoum which has become a focal point of fighting between the two rival factions.
Senate minority leader defends Zelensky's request for more aid ahead of visit to US Capitol
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer and Manu Raju
Senator Mitch McConnell speaks to reporters on Tuesday, September 19.
Pool
As a staunch advocate for additional Ukraine aid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is defending Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for more money.
It comes a few days before the Ukrainian president will visit the US Capitol. He will attend an all-Senate meeting on Thursday morning, McConnell said Tuesday.
Facing a deadline and a possible government shutdown at the end of the month, Congress is weighing a White House request for more aid for Ukraine. Its passage remains in doubt, with the GOP fiercely divided over the issue.
“These people in Ukraine who are fighting for their independence are taking on one of the two big adversaries we have: Russia and China. It seems to me we ought to be helping,” added McConnell.
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Russia's war is "not only about Ukraine," Zelensky warns the UN General Assembly
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Zelenskiy addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, on Tuesday, September 19.
Caitlin Ochs/Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned global leaders at the UN General Assembly that the goal of Russia with its invasion is “not only about Ukraine.”
First, he gave the example of Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea ports which makes it hard for Ukraine to ship its food grains, raising concerns about rising food prices contributing to global hunger.
“It’s clear — Russia’s attempt to weaponize the food shortage on the global market in exchange for recognition for some, if not all, of the captured territories,” Zelensky said. “Russia is launching the food prices as weapons. Their impact spans from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the southeast Asia. And this is a threat scale.”
“Kremlin weaponized oil and gas to weaken the leaders of other countries,” he said, adding that “Nnow, now this threat is even greater.”
“It is also turning other country’s power plants into real dirty bombs. Look, please, what Russia did to our Zaporizhzhia power plant — shelled it, occupied it and then blackmails others with radiation leaks,” he continued.
Zelensky also pointed to Russia’s relations with other countries. “When hatred is weaponized against one nation, it never stops there. Each decade Russia starts a new war. Parts of Moldova and Georgia remain occupied. Russia turned Syria into ruins,” he said. “Russia has almost swallowed Belarus. It’s obviously threatening Kazakhstan and other Baltic states.”
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We must act united to defeat Russia, Zelensky says to world leaders
From CNN's Karen Smith.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, on September 19, 2023.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the world must unite to defeat Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
Zelensky said he is working on a global peace summit but did not say when it would be held.
“While Russia is pushing the world to the final war, Ukraine is doing everything to ensure that after Russian aggression, no one in the world will dare to attack any nation,” he said.
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Russia is weaponizing Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Zelensky says
From CNN's Karen Smith
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an appeal Tuesday to world leaders to restrain Russia’s weaponization of nuclear plants.
Russia is weaponizing nuclear energy and “turning other countries’ power plants into real dirty bombs,” Zelensky said in his address to the United Nations General Assembly. He was referring to the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
Russia “shelled it, occupied it and now blackmails others with radiation leaks. Is there any sense to reduce nuclear weapons when Russia is weaponizing nuclear power plants,” the president asked.
The world doesn’t have a response or protection against such a threat, Zelensky said. “And there is no accountability for radiation blackmailers, so far,” he said.
Some context: Zaporizhzhia NPP, with six reactors, is the largest nuclear power station in Europe. It was mostly built in the Soviet era and became Ukrainian property after its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
In June, Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence had “received information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP),” and that the alleged attack would involve “radiation leakage.”
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Zelensky on Russia kidnapping Ukrainian children: "This is clearly a genocide"
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on September 19.
Richard Drew/AP
In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia’s wartime practice of forcibly taking Ukrainian children to Russia, calling it “genocide.”
“We know the names of tens of thousands of children, and have evidence on hundreds of thousands of others kidnapped by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine and later deported,” he said Tuesday.
Zelensky said the war in Ukraine is the latest in a long list of Russia’s conflicts.
“Each decade Russia starts a new war. Parts of Moldova and Georgia remain occupied. Russia turned Syria into ruins,” he argued.
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Russia is weaponizing food by blocking Ukrainian exports, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 19, 2023.
Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of weaponizing the global food supply in its war in Ukraine during his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly.
It is the first time the Ukrainian president has addressed the assembly in person.
He said in addition to ammunition and military equipment, Russia is “weaponizing many other things,” like the supply of food, which is impacting many countries, not just Ukraine.
He said port cities and infrastructure have been the subject of increasing attacks by Russia.
“Russia is launching the food prices as weapons,” he added.
The president said Ukraine is working to establish land routes for Ukrainian food exports and urged leaders to support the initiatives.
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NOW: Zelensky addresses world leaders at UNGA and appeals for more global support for Ukraine
From CNN staff
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is delivering his address to the United Nations General Assembly.
It is Zelensky’s first time appearing in person. Previously, he has appeared on video monitors in the General Assembly Hall.
Zelensky is expected to speak on the war and appeal for more global assistance.
During the summit, there will be private one-on-one sessions between UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Russia, Ukraine and Turkey, but Russia and Ukraine will not meet together here in New York.
US President Joe Biden spoke earlier today and highlighted the war, saying the US fully supports Ukraine.
“We strongly support Ukraine in its efforts to bring about diplomatic resolution that delivers just and lasting peace. Russia alone, Russia alone, bears responsibility for this war. Russia alone has the the power to end this war immediately,” Biden said.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet with Biden in Washington, DC on Thursday.
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Putin is "going around with a tin cup" to North Korea and Iran for more support, US defense secretary says
From CNN's Haley Britzky
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a press conference after the meeting of the 'Ukraine Defense Contact Group' at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein, Germany, Tuesday, Sept.19, 2023.
Michael Probst/AP
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “going around with a tin cup to countries like Iran and North Korea,” while Ukraine continues receiving support from dozens of countries.
Austin’s comments come just days after Putin met with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Russia, and the same day that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Tehran to meet with Iranian military leadership.
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Turkish president says his country will step up efforts to help end Ukraine war and negotiate grain deal
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country “will step up efforts to end the war through diplomacy and dialogue on the basis of Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.”
Speaking at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Erdogan also addressed the Black Sea Grain initiative which was originally brokered by Turkey. Since Russia pulled out of the deal in July, Turkey has been working on a new grain agreement.
He said Turkey prevented the threat of a global hunger crisis with the United Nations by ensuring the delivery of 33 million tons of grain through the Black Sea to the global markets when the deal was in effect.
Erdogan pointed out that the failure of the grain deal agreement has left the world facing a new crisis. The Turkish president also said that there would be benefits from a range of arrangements from Turkey’s negotiations.
“We have a new plan, whereby another one million tons of grain will be released to the countries in dire need around the world,” Erdogan said.
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US government shutdown could disrupt military aid to Ukraine, Pentagon says
The Pentagon would still be able to access equipment from its own stockpiles, which is where the majority of equipment sent to Ukraine comes from, in the event of a shutdown, given that the department still has billions of dollars’ worth of funding remaining under the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
But the delivery of that equipment, as well as the ongoing training of Ukrainian forces by the US, “could be impacted by furloughs of personnel and DoD’s suspension” of all activities deemed not essential to US national security in the event of a shutdown, Pentagon spokesperson Chris Sherwood said.
Any impact on US support would come at a sensitive time in the conflict with Ukrainian troops in the midst of a critical counteroffensive against Russia.
Politico first reported on Sherwood’s comments.
A possible shutdown could also impact the delivery and execution of aid provided under another program, known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which has funded the production of key equipment like Abrams tanks and training programs like F-16 pilot instruction.
The US is set to begin delivering 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in the coming weeks and expects to begin providing Ukrainian pilots with F-16-related language training “soon,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Charlie Dietz said on Monday.
The Pentagon would also not be able to sign any new contracts with defense companies to produce more equipment under USAI in the event of a shutdown.
“The Department has notified all available USAI funding, so no new USAI notifications can occur until additional appropriations are enacted,” Sherwood said.
The Pentagon issued guidance last week on how the US military will continue to operate in the event of a shutdown, and while missions and functions not deemed critical to US national security will halt, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin can “at any time” make exceptions to that policy.
About the possible shutdown: The US government appears to be barreling toward a shutdown, as Democratic and Republican lawmakers have acknowledged that there will not be enough time before the September 30 deadline for either chamber to pass all 12 appropriations bills.
Instead, the House and Senate will have to find a short-term fix to allow them more time to negotiate, but it is unclear whether they will be able to do that.
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Ukraine has liberated more than 54% of occupied territory since start of war, top US general says
From CNN's Haley Britzky
Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, attends the meeting of the 'Ukraine Defense Contact Group' at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.
Michael Probst/AP
The Ukrainian military has liberated more than 54% of territory occupied by Russia, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said Tuesday.
Milley credited each Ukrainian advancement and “every inch of reclaimed territory” due to the “bravery the honor and the incredible sacrifice made by the Ukrainian people and their military. Ukraine continues to make deliberate, steady progress in liberating their homeland from Russian occupation.”
More context: That 54% of territory is in regard to territory liberated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Milley’s spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said on Tuesday, including areas around Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson.
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European Commission proposes extension of temporary protection for people fleeing Ukraine
From CNN's Radina Gigova in London
The European Commission proposed on Tuesday an additional extension of the temporary protection for people fleeing Ukraine, according to a statement by the commission.
The proposed extension from March 4, 2024 to March 3, 2025 “will provide certainty and support for more than 4 million persons enjoying protection across the EU,” the commission said. The EU activated a Temporary Protection Directive in March 2022 and member states unanimously agreed to automatically extend it by one year.
Since the activation of the temporary protection, which happened only a week after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, member states “showed unprecedented solidarity with Ukrainian people, not only by welcoming them in their countries, but also by making concrete efforts to facilitate their inclusion in society,” the commission said.
The commission’s proposal will now have to be adopted by the European Council.
The temporary protection directive provides “immediate protection and access to rights in the EU, including residency rights, access to the labor market, housing, social welfare assistance, medical and other assistance,” the commission said.
The so-called Solidarity Platform with Ukraine, which was established by the commission at the beginning of the war, helps coordinate operational matters and support on the ground between EU institutions, EU member states and Schengen-associated countries, as well as international organizations and Ukrainian authorities.
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G7 foreign ministers express concern about what Russia and North Korea "might be up to"
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
At a dinner of the G7 foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday night, “there was great concern in the room about what Russia and (North Korea) might be up to together,” a senior State Department official said Tuesday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week traveled to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin, and the two held what the Kremlin called “very substantive” discussions.
Their meeting came after US officials warned that Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” in a potential arms deal that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use in its faltering Ukraine war in exchange for sanctioned ballistic missile technology.
The official declined to say if there was a consensus among the G7 around what Russia would be willing to give North Korea or vice versa, but told reporters Tuesday that the top diplomats were concerned that if the two countries go “in the weapons direction,” it would not only be dangerous for Ukraine but also be “yet another violation of UN principles by Russia.”
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Biden: No member of the United Nations would feel secure if Ukraine is allowed "to be carved up"
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
US President Joe Biden addresses the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
Mike Segar/Reuters
During his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, US President Joe Biden said supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion is “not only investment in Ukraine’s future, but in the future of every country” that values the basic UN rules of sovereignty and territorial integrity “that apply equally to all nations” big and small.
“We strongly support Ukraine in its efforts to bring about diplomatic resolution that delivers just and lasting peace. Russia alone, Russia alone, bears responsibility for this war. Russia alone has the the power to end this war immediately,” Biden said.
“And it’s Russia alone that stands in the way of the peace. Because Russia’s price for peace is Ukraine’s capitulation, Ukraine’s territory and Ukraine’s children,” Biden added.
The US president said Moscow “believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence.”
Biden suggested that no member states of the United Nations would feel secure if Ukraine is allowed “to be carved up.”
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Biden condemns Russia's withdrawal from arms control agreements
US President Joe Biden addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, on September 19.
Mike Segar/Reuters
President Joe Biden condemned Tuesday Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the New START, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the two countries, which was the last remaining pact that regulates the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, he said cooperation and partnership are they keys to global challenges and the baseline for leadership on these issues.
“After more than 50 years of progress under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Russia is shredding the longstanding arms control agreements, including announcing the suspension of New START,” he said. “I view it as irresponsible, and it makes the entire world less safe.”
He noted the United States has destroyed its last remaining chemical munitions in its stockpile this year in its efforts to lead in keeping the world free of chemical weapons.
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NOW: Biden addresses world leaders at UN General Assembly
From CNN's Betsy Klein
US President Joe Biden.
Pool
US President Joe Biden is delivering remarks before the 78th United Nations General Assembly Tuesday and is expected to make a forceful call for the intergovernmental organization to stand up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence. But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the UN Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state feel confident that they are protected?” the president is expected to say, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks released by the White House ahead of the speech.
Biden will push back against those who say Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should give up on areas of Ukraine including Crimea and the Donbas.
“If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?” he will ask.
“The answer is no. We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” Biden is expected to say, according to the prepared remarks.
Officials had said Ukraine would “feature prominently” in Biden’s remarks Tuesday, though he is also expected to address other issues including climate change and economic development.
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Explosions and fierce battles reported across the southern front lines of Ukraine
From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitoivych
A commander of Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade raises his country's flag in the frontline village of Andriivka, Ukraine, on September 16.
Alex Babenko/AP
Neither Russia nor Ukraine have indicated meaningful gains or losses over the past few days, with much of the front line — from Kharkiv in the north to Zaporizhzhia in the south — at a virtual stalemate, and gains measured in hundreds of meters rather than kilometers.
Here are some of the latest developments on the battlefield:
Melitopol: There are reports of explosions in the Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine. Ivan Fedorov, the Ukrainian mayor of the city, said that local residents reported more than five explosions. There’s been no comment from Russian-appointed officials in the area, but the Russian military blogger Rybar said that four Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles were shot down by Russian air defense forces — one over the Henichesk district and three over Melitopol.
Molochansk: This southern town had also come under fire on Tuesday morning from Ukrainian missiles, said Vladimir Rogov, member of the Russian-installed Zaporizhzhia military-civilian administration. Several buildings had been damaged or destroyed, he said on Telegram.
Robotyne: Russian reconnaissance had uncovered the movement of Ukrainian units near this village on the southern front lines, and destroyed them, according to Yevgeniy Balitskiy, the Russian appointed acting governor of occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia. Russian blogger War Gonzo said there was fierce counter fighting on the western outskirts of Robotyne village, where Russian forces were trying to cut the flank of Ukrainian units, “while the AFU [Ukrainian army] is trying to expand the bridgehead for an offensive to the south.”
Novoprokopivka and Verbove: A unit of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic said the Russian Army was holding back Ukrainian forces near these two villages that have been fought over for several weeks. Russian military blogger Voenkor Lisitsin said Ukraine “is trying to probe the Russian defense in small groups with the support of armored vehicles, but our fighters neutralize all attempts of the enemy to break through with the help of artillery.”
Bakhmut: Russian bloggers said that the situation had stabilized after Ukrainian gains in the south of the city. “Most of Klishchiivka and Andriivka are in the gray zone,” he claimed. The Ukrainians say they now are in control of both settlements.
CNN cannot independently verify the battlefield claims made by either side. However, the Institute for the Study of War noted Monday that “Ukraine’s liberation of Klishchiivka and Andriivka south of Bakhmut may have degraded the Russian defense in the area south of Bakhmut and could have rendered combat ineffective as many as three Russian brigades, according to Ukrainian military officials.”
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Zelensky will attend the UNGA in person for the first time. Here are key things to know about the meeting
Analysis from CNN's Richard Roth
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 19.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) begins today and 140 heads of state and government are scheduled to attend. Six vice presidents, four deputy prime ministers and over 30 ministers of state and chiefs of delegations will also stand at the rostrum to deliver remarks for their nations.
This year the topics at the two-week summit appear more numerous, volatile and hard-to-solve than before any other UN General Assembly: Russia’s war in Ukraine, lethal floods in Libya, multiple coups on the African continent, North versus South economic funding, violent crisis in Haiti, and climate change, to name a few.
Potentially weakening the impact of the event itself is the fact that US President Joe Biden is to be the only leader of the permanent five members of the UN Security Council to attend.
In a first for the annual summit, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky will be attending in person as he continues to rally for support. Previously, he has appeared on video monitors in the General Assembly Hall.
Biden and Zelensky are set to address the assembly on Tuesday, and the leaders are expected to meet in Washington on Thursday.
UN to tackle grain deal with Russia: At a special Ukraine meeting at the Security Council table on Wednesday, prepare for Zelensky to take on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, should he attend this ministerial meeting. There are also private one-on-one sessions between UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.
The UN would like to get Russia back into the Black Sea grain deal. But Russia and Ukraine will not meet together here in New York.
Moscow City Court denies WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich's appeal, Russian state news agency says
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Niamh Kennedy
Evan Gershkovich stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing at the Moscow City Court on Tuesday, September 19.
Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images
A Moscow court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against his pre-trial detention on espionage charges, according to Russian state media.
Gershkovich will stay in detention till November 30, according to a previous court decision, TASS added.
In remarks from the Moscow City court session, the US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy said Gershkovich “is fully aware of the gravity of his situation, yet he remains remarkably strong.”
“Evan is always eager to discuss the latest headlines. He knew that his parents had delivered a petition to the UN last week,” she added, saying the charges against Gershkovich are baseless.
More on the case: Russia’s main security service, the FSB, has accused Gershkovich of trying to obtain state secrets. He has been behind bars since March and, if convicted, faces up to 20 years in prison.
The journalist and his employer have vehemently denied the allegations.
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Ukraine is expected to be a key focus of Biden's remarks Tuesday before the United Nations General Assembly
From CNN's Kayla Tausche, Kevin Liptak and Betsy Klein
Final preparations are made before the start of the United Nations General Assembly on September 19, in New York City.
In remarks to the 78th UN General Assembly, Biden, a senior administration official told reporters, “will lay out for the world the steps that he and his administration have taken to work with others to solve the world’s most serious challenges.”
Biden is also expected to touch on “significant foreign policy successes” of his presidency, making a pitch for the US’ role in the world heading into the 2024 US presidential campaign. As the president seeks a second term, there is some unease from world leaders about what that role could looks like following next year’s election.
The annual UN talks are unfolding for the second year under the shadow of the war in Ukraine, and the conflict will remain a focus for leaders. While the UN has led on organizing humanitarian aid during the conflict, it hasn’t acted as a mediator in the war.
This year, the nations of the “global south” are also demanding attention from leaders. Many have watched with skepticism as the West rallies attention and funding for Ukraine while their crises go unnoticed.
Biden will meet Wednesday with Brazil’s President Lula da Silva to discuss labor issues and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom Biden has clashed on the country’s controversial judicial reform plan.
Biden and Netanyahu, the senior official said, will “discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues focused on the shared democratic values between our two countries and a vision for a more stable and prosperous and integrated region, as well as compare notes on effectively countering and deterring Iran.”
But with high-level absences from Russia, China, France, and the UK – all permanent members of the UN Security Council – the Biden administration will be relegated to lower-level engagements with key allies and adversaries, all while hoping to elevate the United States’ views of global infrastructure, food security, democratic values, and territorial sovereignty.
One of the most high-profile meetings of the week won’t even be happening in New York. Biden will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Thursday, before Zelensky meets members of the US Congress on Capitol Hill.
Officials said Biden will seek to balance US commitment to Ukraine with other pressing global challenges during his Tuesday remarks.
“When we’re accused of focusing too much attention on Ukraine,” Thomas-Greenfield said, it’s important that the US can show it “can deal with Ukraine as well as the rest of the world at the same time.”
Biden, the official added, will speak to the US “commitment to the principles that are at play in some of the world’s most serious conflicts right now, preeminently Ukraine, and what we’re going to do to make sure that the UN Charter is upheld and to strengthen the coalition in favor of Russia’s independence in light of a brutal conflict and also reiterate our commitment to human rights worldwide.”
But there are areas where the administration acknowledges progress will remain elusive. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said he’s not optimistic UN leadership and partner countries can make progress reinstating the Black Sea grain initiative, despite UN Secretary General António Guterres holding meetings on it with Zelensky and other partners New York this week.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group is meeting in Germany to discuss "urgent battlefield needs"
From CNN's Radina Gigova
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army US General Mark Milley, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, and Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov arrive for talks at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, on September 19.
Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images
A meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a bloc of 54 countries that is providing and coordinating military support to Kyiv, is currently underway at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Tuesday.
Defense leaders will discuss Ukraine’s capabilities, IT needs and other “urgent battlefield needs,” according to Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
In his opening remarks at the beginning of the meeting, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that shipments of American M1 Abrams tanks will soon be arriving in Ukraine and said that Kyiv’s counteroffensive continues to make steady progress.
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Both Denmark and Norway to send more tanks and other equipment to Ukraine
From CNN's Radina Gigova and Vasco Cotovio
Denmark will donate an additional 45 tanks to Ukraine, including 15 modernized T-72 tanks and 30 Leopard 1 tanks, the country’s defense ministry told CNN on Tuesday. Copenhagen is also sending Kyiv additional arms, ammunition and mine-clearing equipment.
Meanwhile, Norway is also set to donate about 50 tracked cargo carriers to Ukraine, its government announced Tuesday. This type of vehicle is able to maneuver in terrain inaccessible for wheeled vehicles.
“The cargo carriers can transport ammunition, food and water to Ukrainian troops in the field,” the Norwegian government said.
Norway has previously donated “a wide range of capacities to Ukraine,” including ground-based air defense systems and battle tanks. It’s also among the nations providing F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
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Latvia has shut a border crossing with Belarus in bid to curb illegal migration
From CNN's Radina Gigova
Latvia closed one of its two border crossings with Belarus on Tuesday in an effort to prevent illegal migration, the country’s public broadcaster LSM reported.
The operation of Latvia’s Silene border crossing point has been suspended, while its other crossing with Belarus will remain open for freight transport as well as for urgent humanitarian movement or emergencies.
Tensions on the border between Latvia and Belarus, which is Russia’s closest ally, have increased since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
So far in September this year, Latvian Border Guard officials have prevented 1,773 illegal border crossings, LSM reported.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been accused of manufacturing a migrant crisis on his country’s border by the prime ministers of three neighboring nations, leading Poland to adopt a bill for the construction of a wall along its border with Belarus.
The situation along the border escalated once again earlier this summer after Wagner private mercenary group fighters moved from Russia into Belarus. But after the death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda said the need to close the border with Belarus had become less relevant as the threat of encroaching Wagner mercenaries was waning.
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Wagner built an empire in the Central African Republic. Post Prigozhin, its operations are consolidating
From CNN's Sebastian Shukla, Brent Swails, Clarissa Ward and Scott McWhinnie
Russia has been engaged in a high-stakes scramble to centralize Wagner’s empire on the African continent since Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary group’s leader, attempted a coup in June and subsequently died in a plane crash outside Moscow just months later.
The Wagner private mercenary group’s diverse activities in the Central African Republic (CAR) include thousands of fighters on the ground, a vast array of business holdings and multiple soft power initiatives.
As the Kremlin tries to get its arms around Wagner’s sprawling commercial network, what’s next for the group remains unclear. But signs of what the future may hold in the CAR, one of the organization’s first client states and its laboratory on the continent, are beginning to emerge in the country’s capital.
CNN visited Bangui, where Russia appears to be consolidating Wagner’s operations while continuing to exert its influence. The message that Moscow wants to project seems to be: it’s business as usual.
Ukraine's offensive is making "steady forward progress," US defense secretary says
From CNN's Tim Lister
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, on Tuesday, September 19.
Michael Probst/AP
Ukraine’s months-long counteroffensive is making “steady forward progress,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
Austin pressed other representatives at the meeting, which is taking place at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, to continue offering Ukraine security assistance. He said that Ukraine’s battlefield gains “hinge on the crucial capabilities provided by the members of this contact group.”
More than $76 billion in direct security assistance has been given to Ukraine so far, Austin said. However, he added that Ukraine is in further need of air defense systems.
Later on in the Tuesday gathering, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said The Ukrainian military has liberated more than 54% of territory occupied by Russia.
“[E]ach Ukrainian advancement, every inch of reclaimed territory, only happens because of the bravery the honor and the incredible sacrifice made by the cranium people in their military. Ukraine continues to make deliberate, steady progress in liberating their homeland from Russian occupation,” Milley said at a news conference after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
“To date, Ukraine has liberated over 54% of Russian occupied Ukraine and they continue to retain the strategic initiative.”
That 54% of territory is in regard to territory liberated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Milley’s spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said on Tuesday, including areas around Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson.
Attacks on grain: Austin said that Russian attacks on Ukraine’s grain infrastructure are directly threatening global food security.
Moscow has been targeting Ukrainian infrastructure since July, when it pulled out of a deal that allowed Ukrainian ships to bypass a Russian blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports and navigate safe passage through the waterway to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait in order to reach global markets.
Austin alleged that the Kremlin has destroyed “at least 280,000 tons of grain. That’s enough to feed as many as 10.5 million people for a year.”
“The more Russia prolongs its war, the more glaring its cruelty becomes. Russia’s assaults have reached far beyond the battlefield and inflicted untold human suffering,” Austin said. “History will show the full folly of Putin’s reckless, cruel, and unprovoked invasion of his peaceful neighbor.”
CNN’s Haley Britzky contributed reporting to this post.
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US defense secretary says M1 Abrams tanks will enter Ukraine “soon"
From CNN's Oren Liebermann
American M1 Abrams tanks are expected to be sent to Ukraine “soon,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday at a meeting with Ukraine and its other military partners.
The arrival of the tanks, which Kyiv has sought to help its forces break through the Russian front lines, has been anticipated for months. The US began training Ukrainian troops how to operate them earlier this year.
Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a bloc of 54 countries that are providing military support to the country in the face of Russia’s invasion, Austin urged Kyiv’s partners to help supply it with other critical weapons systems, like air defense and artillery ammunition.
Umerov’s arrival: Tuesday’s meeting was the first of its kind since former Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov was dismissed two weeks ago.
Austin thanked Reznikov “for his hard work and dedication – and for everything that he did for a free Ukraine in a secure world” in his opening remarks.
Austin said he looked forward to “working closely” with Reznikov’s successor, Rustem Umerov. The two spoke on the phone last week and met in person for the first time at the meeting.
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Warehouse worker dead and tons of humanitarian supplies destroyed in Lviv attack, mayor says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
A view shows an industrial warehouse damaged by a Russian drone strike in Lviv, Ukraine, on September 19. P
Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout/Reuters
A warehouse worker was killed and more than 300 metric tons of humanitarian supplies were destroyed during a Russian drone attack on Lviv early Tuesday, the western Ukrainian city’s mayor said.
Speaking at the scene of an extensive fire caused by the assault, Mayor Andrii Sadovyi said a warehouse belonging to NGO Caritas-Spes was hit, resulting in the death of a worker and the destruction of humanitarian supplies.
The supplies were worth millions of dollars, Sadovyi said.
Earlier, Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv regional military administration, said Ukraine shot down down 15 Russian drones heading toward the city, but three drones evaded air defenses and hit the warehouses.
The resulting fire affected an area of 9,000 square meters (nearly 97,000 square feet), Kozytskyi said. “I want to emphasize that these are ordinary industrial warehouses. Nothing military was stored there,” he said.
At least two people were injured in the attack, Kozytskyi said.
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Russian drones hit Lviv warehouses, Ukraine says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych and Alex Stambaugh
Firefighters work at a site of an industrial warehouse damaged by a Russian drone strike in Lviv, Ukraine, on Tuesday, September 19.
Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout/Reuters
Russian attack drones struck warehouses in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Tuesday, sparking a huge fire and injuring two people, a local official said.
In a Telegram post, Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv regional military administration, said Ukraine shot down down 15 Russian drones heading toward the city, but three drones evaded air defenses and hit the warehouses.
The resulting fire affected an area of 9,000 square meters (nearly 97,000 square feet), Kozytskyi said.
A 26-year-old man who was injured is in “moderate condition,” Kozytskyi said. “There was also a woman at the scene who did not need hospitalization,” he added.
Russian attacks: The assault on Lviv comes as the Ukrainian Air Force said it destroyed 27 of 30 Russian attack drones launched Tuesday. Russia additionally fired one ballistic missile in the direction of the city of Kryvyi Rih and Ukraine also destroyed a reconnaissance drone, the Air Force said.
This post has been updated with additional information.
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Moscow and Beijing tout their cooperation ahead of Putin's expected China visit
From CNN's Simone McCarthy, Katharina Krebs, Darya Tarasova and Yong Xiong
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia, on Monday, September 18.
Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout/Reuters
Russia and China’s top diplomats discussed strengthening their international cooperation during a meeting in Moscow on Monday ahead of an expected landmark visit from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing in the coming weeks.
The two countries would continue “well-coordinated work” at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), which opened a new session this week, and other summits and high level meetings, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told visiting Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in opening remarks.
“Strategic cooperation”: In his meeting with Lavrov, Wang said China and Russia should work together on the formation of a “multi-polar world,” adding that the two countries bear a “special responsibility” in terms of maintaining global strategic stability and peace.
The readout appeared to allude to the expected visit from Putin to China next month, with the Chinese ministry quoting Lavrov as saying Russia would “prepare for the next high-level exchanges between the two countries.”
War in Ukraine: Russia’s war in Ukraine has shifted the self-declared “no limits” partnership between the two — making sanctions-hampered Moscow increasingly reliant on Beijing as its most powerful economic and diplomatic partner.
China has also attempted to frame itself as a potential peace broker and neutral party in the conflict, even as it provides an economic lifeline for Russia and has not called for Moscow to cease its onslaught or withdraw troops.
In a statement Monday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Lavrov and Wang agreed that Moscow’s interests must be considered in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
China’s summary only presented its position as “consistently adhering” to the direction of peace talks and noted its pledge to “play a constructive role” in a “political settlement of the crisis.”
Russian drone attack injures 1 in Lviv, mayor says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych and Alex Stambaugh
Russia launched a drone attack on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv early Tuesday, injuring one person, according to local officials.
A 26-year-old man has been hospitalized after he was pulled out of the rubble with an open fracture of a limb, he said.
Emergency services are working at the scene, he added.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, attack drones were in the airspace of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Khmelnytskyi regions early Tuesday.
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Why Cubans are fighting for Russia in Ukraine
From CNN's Patrick Oppmann in Santa Clara, Cuba
A Cuban flag hangs over a street in Havana, Cuba, on August 19, 2021.
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
For months, hundreds of Cubans have quietly left the island to fight for Russia in its war in Ukraine, chasing promises of money and Russian citizenship from shadowy online recruiters, family members told CNN.
Across much of Cuba, the economy has ground to a standstill as the communist-run island reels from a sharp drop in tourism, spiking inflation and renewed US sanctions. In places like Santa Clara, a city of around 250,000 people with frequent hours-long daily blackouts and more horses and carts on the road than cars, there was seemingly an unlimited number of disaffected men to recruit.
Men like Miguel, who in July traveled to Russia and soon after was on the front lines of the war with Ukraine, his mother Cecilia told CNN.
Cecilia said she was afraid of Russian reprisals against her son and asked CNN not to identify either one of them, and use pseudonyms instead of their real names.
Zelensky arrives in New York to address world leaders at UN General Assembly. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks while visiting with wounded Ukrainian soldiers at the Staten Island University Hospital in New York, on September 18.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived Monday in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. He is set to meet with several world leaders to push for support as Ukraine presses ahead with its counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Zelensky is also scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and US lawmakers in Washington, DC, later this week.
Meanwhile, fighting continues in the eastern part of the country after Ukrainian troops recaptured two key villages near Bakhmut.
Here’s what else to know:
UN gathering: Zelensky will address the General Assembly in person this week, but first he visited Monday with Ukrainian soldiers who are undergoing rehabilitation in New York. Among various world leaders, Zelensky will meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for the first time in person on Wednesday, a spokesperson said. The war in Ukraine is expected to be a significant item on the agenda at the assembly of world leaders.
Pledged aid: Germany will provide Ukraine with an additional 400 million euros ($427 million) worth of weapons and aid, according to the defense minister. Notably, the package will not include long-range Taurus missiles, Boris Pistorius said. Ukraine has been urging Germany to provide the weapons.
Situation near Bakhmut: The situation in the eastern part of Ukraine “remains difficult” even after Ukrainian troops recaptured the villages of Klishchiivka and Andriivka near the eastern city of Bakhmut, the Commander of Land Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said. He said Russia does “not abandon its intentions to resume offensive actions” in the area.
Preparing for winter: Ukraine is anticipating ramped-up Russian attacks on energy infrastructure as the weather gets colder, the CEO of Ukraine’s largest private energy company said. The company, DTEK, is working on building a 500-megawatt wind power plant to boost the country’s energy sector, but CEO Maxim Timchenko said Ukraine needs air defenses to protect power stations.
Agricultural lawsuit: Kyiv has filed a lawsuit against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia over their ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said Monday. The three countries are worried their farmers will be undercut by a bottleneck of cheap Ukrainian grain. On Friday, the EU announced plans to suspend a temporary ban placed on the export of Ukrainian grain to a select number of countries in Eastern Europe.
Zelensky expected to meet with Brazilian president for the first time in person
From CNN's Duarte Mendonca
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for the first time in person on Wednesday, a spokesperson said. The leaders are both in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meetings.
The meeting will take place at 4 p.m. ET, the Brazilian Presidency spokesperson Cynthia Ribeiro said. The spokesperson gave no further details.
People familiar with Zelensky’s plans previously said he has several meetings with other world leaders during his time in New York.
More broadly, the Ukrainian president is planning to use an in-person appearance at the annual meeting to appeal for more support for Ukraine as it continues to wage a counteroffensive against Russia.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, Kevin Liptak and Melanie Zanona contributed reporting to this post.
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Ukraine commander hails recent gains in the east but says overall situation in area still "difficult"
From CNN's Jessie Gretener, Andrew Carey, and Olga Voitovych
Soldiers hold flags as they speak in front of destroyed buildings in Klishchiivka, Ukraine, as seen in this screen grab taken from a video released on September 17.
Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of Ground Forces/Reuters
Ukraine’s Commander of Land Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, released a video hailing the soldiers who recaptured the villages of Klishchiivka and Andriivka near the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut, saying their advance had succeeded in breaking a Russian defensive line.
“As a result of the successful actions of our troops, the enemy’s defense line was broken, which it tried to close by throwing all available reserves into the battle,” Syrskyi said on Telegram in a separate post, adding that Russian forces had not given up trying to recapture the lost territory, conducting “numerous counterattacks from different directions.”
He cautioned more widely that the “overall situation in the eastern sector remains difficult.”
“The enemy does not abandon its intentions to resume offensive actions in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions,” he said, referencing two towns both held by Russia for six months before being liberated by Ukraine almost exactly a year ago.
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Ukraine files lawsuit against 3 EU countries for banning its agricultural products
From CNN's Jessie Gretener, Mariya Knight and Olga Voitovych
Ukraine filed lawsuits against Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia over a ban on imports of its agricultural products, Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said in a statement Monday.
The lawsuit comes after the European Union said on Friday that it planned to suspend a temporary ban on the export of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The measure was put in place to counter the risk of farmers in these countries being undercut by a bottleneck of cheap Ukrainian grain.
However, Poland, Hungry, and Slovakia said they would defy it. CNN has reached out to Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture, Hungary’s Ministry of Agriculture, and Slovakia’s Ministry of Agriculture for comment.
Ukraine calls this situation “a violation by the three EU countries of their international obligations.” It asked the EU members “to coordinate and harmonize trade policy, as it is within the exclusive competence of the EU,” according to the statement.
Ukraine trade representative Taras Kachka told Politico that such acts of defiance show a lack of unity within the bloc and pose a “systemic concern.”
Spain’s agriculture minister has warned that the move by Poland, Slovakia and Hungary may be illegal.
“The fact that any member country — I’m not judging one member country, but any member country — takes unilateral action restricting what is the access to the single market, seems to me something that is out of the law,” Luis Planas Puchades told reporters on his way into a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Brussels.
Puchades said it will be for the European Commission to judge whether the unilateral bans are illegal, adding that commission representatives will brief the ministers on potential follow up action on Monday afternoon.
CNN’s Niamh Kennedy contributed reporting to this post.
