What’s at stake as Starmer babysits Trump through state visitDonald Trump has adopted Vladimir Putin’s arguments on Ukraine; and has (like Putin) threatened the sovereignty of his neighbours and allies.On top of that, his administration has openly supported anti-democratic movements on Europe’s far right – notably in Germany, France, and Romania.Trump has jeopardised the cornerstone alliances of Nato and the Five Eyes intelligence relationship that bind the West together as militaries and that links the Anglosphere into a web of trust.His apparent devotion to Putin has further entrenched the belief among the intelligence communities of America’s allies that the US president is a liability.He is a liability. He has been successfully manipulated by Russia and Putin for years.So now it’s Britain’s turn, and as head of state, the star turn in Trump-charming is the King himself. He, no doubt, will play his part, writes Sam Kiley:Arpan Rai17 September 2025 07:10Fire at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant extinguished – reportA fire that broke at the fuel storage facility of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after a Ukrainian attack has been put out, a Russian representative of the plant said.This comes a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency said its team at the plant heard shelling close to the site and observed black smoke rising from three nearby locations.Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors, in the first weeks after Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.Each side routinely accuses the other of undertaking actions that endanger nuclear safety at the plant.Incidents of shelling occur frequently. The plant’s reactors are shut down, but the nuclear fuel inside them still needs to be cooled.Ukraine has yet to comment on the fire overnight and the source of the shelling has not been confirmed.Arpan Rai17 September 2025 06:45Russian attack on Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region cuts powerA Russian overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s central Kirovohrad region partially cut power and disrupted railway operations, its governor said this morning.”As of now, the regional centre and 44 settlements in the Oleksandrivka territorial community have been partially cut off from the power supply,” Andriy Raykovych wrote on Telegram.Arpan Rai17 September 2025 06:17Russia sentences Pussy Riot members in absentia to jail for anti-war messagesFive members of Pussy Riot have been sentenced in absentia to prison in Russia on charges relating to performances criticising the war in Ukraine.The jail terms handed down to members of the feminist punk group by Moscow’s Basmanny District Court ranged from eight to 13 years, according to Rolling Stone and independent Russian outlet Mediazona.Maria Alyokhina, Taso Pletner, Olga Borisova, Diana Burkot and Alina Petrova were accused of spreading “false information” about the Russian army in a music video released in December 2022 entitled “Mama, Don’t Watch TV”. A separate charge relates to an incident in which a member of the group urinated on a portrait of Russian president Vladimir Putin in April 2024.All five members of the group rejected the charges, saying they were politically motivated.Arpan Rai17 September 2025 05:59UN nuclear watchdog says shelling reported near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plantThe UN’s nuclear watchdog says shelling has been heard at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine yesterday, and black smoke seen rising from three nearby locations.The team from the UN’s nuclear watchdog was informed that multiple artillery shells struck an area outside the plant’s perimeter, around 400m (437 yards) from its off-site diesel fuel storage facility, the IAEA said in a statement.”While there were no reports of casualties or equipment damage, the incident once again underlined the constant dangers to nuclear safety and security,” IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said.There were no statements on the incident from either Russian or Ukrainian officials.Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors, in the first weeks after Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.Each side routinely accuses the other of undertaking actions that endanger nuclear safety at the plant.A view shows the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from the bank of Kakhovka reservoir in the Dnipropetrovsk region (REUTERS)Arpan Rai17 September 2025 05:28Watch: Vladimir Putin observes joint military exercise with BelarusVladimir Putin observes joint military exercise with BelarusArpan Rai17 September 2025 05:15Canada’s Chrystia Freeland appointed Ukraine envoy after resignation from cabinetCanadian minister Chrystia Freeland has said she will step down from prime minister Mark Carney’s cabinet to take up her new role as Canada’s special envoy to Ukraine.Freeland, who is of Ukrainian heritage, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia.”I have decided to step down from cabinet today and turn the page on this chapter in my life. I do not intend to run in the next election,” she said.She recounted the Carney cabinet’s work to support Ukraine, and said: “We stood with Ukraine against dictatorship.”In a statement, Carney thanked Freeland “for her extraordinary service in the Cabinet of Canada’s federal government over the last decade”.He said that he has asked her to serve as Canada’s new Special Representative for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, in addition to her role as a Liberal MP.Arpan Rai17 September 2025 04:58Ukraine drone attacks forcing Russia to cut oil outputRussia’s oil pipeline monopoly Transneft has warned producers they may have to cut output following Ukraine’s drone attacks on critical export ports and refineries, three industry sources told Reuters.Ukrainian drones have hit at least 10 refineries – cutting Russia’s refining capacity by almost a fifth at one point – and damaged its leading Baltic Sea ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, Ukrainian military officials and Russian industry sources said.Transneft, which handles more than 80 per cent of all the oil extracted in Russia, has in recent days restricted oil firms’ ability to store oil in its pipeline system, two industry sources close to Russian oil firms told Reuters. Transneft has also warned producers it may have to accept less oil if its infrastructure sustains further damage, the two sources said.The attacks could force Russia, which accounts for 9 per cent of global oil production, to ultimately cut output, said the two sources and a third source familiar with oil pumping operations.The three sources asked not to be named due to sensitivity of the issue. However, in a statement on its website, Transneft described the news as “fake” and part of the West’s “information war” against Russia.A view taken in December 2023 shows the grounds of a fuel tank farm of Russia’s oil pipeline giant Transneft (AFP via Getty Images)Arpan Rai17 September 2025 04:29Trump approves first Ukraine arms aid paid for by alliesThe Trump administration has approved the first US weapons package for Ukraine funded by Nato countries, two sources aware of the situation told Reuters.The sources declined to give an exact inventory of what has been approved for purchase by the Europeans for Ukraine, but said it included air defence systems, which Ukraine needs urgently given the huge increase in Russian drone and missile attacks.They said the tranche of weapons could be shipped soon.One of the sources said NATO’s new Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List was making its way through the process after clearing the Pentagon’s policy unit, reported Reuters.“It’s the stuff they’ve been asking for. A lot of stuff,” said the source. “It’s the flow that’s allowed them to stabilise the lines thus far.”This is the first time US is supplying Ukraine with a new method under Donald Trump with weapons from US stocks using funds from Nato countries.So far, the Trump administration has only sold weapons to Ukraine or shipped donations which were authorised by former president Joe Biden who was ready to aid Kyiv with its battlefield requirements.Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump shake hand during a meeting in the Oval Office (AP)Arpan Rai17 September 2025 04:15Drills in Belarus and drone incursions into Romania: How the war in Ukraine has already become a European conflictThe Kremlin issued a sharp warning to Nato when it said the alliance was “fighting against Russia” and was “de facto involved” in the war in Ukraine.“Nato is providing direct and indirect support to the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “It can be said with absolute certainty that Nato is fighting against Russia.”Yet as Russia sends drones into Poland and Romania and organises drills with Belarus, experts say that Putin is testing Nato’s response through its more aggressive movements past Ukrainian borders.Tom Barnes17 September 2025 03:16
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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin forced to cut oil flows due to Kyiv’s attacks on critical infrastructure
