U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration has prepared additional sanctions it could use to target key areas of Russia&#8217;s economy if President Vladimir Putin continues to delay ending Moscow&#8217;s war in Ukraine, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the matter.
U.S. officials have also told European counterparts that they support the EU using frozen Russian assets to buy U.S. weapons for Kyiv, and Washington has held nascent internal conversations about leveraging Russian assets held in the U.S. to support Ukraine&#8217;s war effort, two U.S. officials said.
While it is not clear whether Washington will actually carry out any of those moves in the immediate term, it shows there is a well-developed toolkit within the administration to up the ante further after Trump imposed sanctions on Russia on Wednesday for the first time since returning to office in January.
Trump has positioned himself as a global peacemaker, but has admitted that trying to end Russia&#8217;s more-than-three-year war in neighboring Ukraine has proven harder than he had anticipated.
European allies &#8211; buffeted by Trump&#8217;s swings between accommodation and anger toward Putin &#8211; hope he keeps upping the pressure on Moscow, and are also mulling major actions of their own.
One senior U.S. official told Reuters that he would like to see European allies make the next big Russia move, which could be additional sanctions or tariffs. A separate source with knowledge of internal administration dynamics said Trump was likely to hit pause for a few weeks and gauge Russia&#8217;s reaction to Wednesday&#8217;s sanctions announcement.
Those sanctions took aim at oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft. The moves spiked oil prices by more than $2 and sent major Chinese and Indian buyers of Russian crude looking for alternatives.
Some of the additional sanctions the U.S. has prepared are geared toward Russia&#8217;s banking sector and the infrastructure used to get oil to market, said a U.S. official and another person familiar with the matter.
Last week, Ukrainian officials pitched the U.S. with new sanctions activity, said one source with knowledge of those conversations. Among the specific ideas put forward were measures to cut off all Russian banks from the dollar-based system with U.S. counterparts, two sources said. It is not clear, however, how seriously Ukraine&#8217;s specific requests are under consideration.
The U.S. Senate is also making moves, with some lawmakers renewing a push to get a long-stalled bipartisan sanctions bill over the line.
The person with knowledge of internal administration dynamics said Trump is open to endorsing the package. The source warned, though, that such an endorsement is unlikely this month.
The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, said on Friday he believes his country, the United States and Ukraine are close to a diplomatic solution to end Russia&#8217;s war in Ukraine.
Halyna Yusypiuk, Ukrainian Embassy spokesperson in Washington, said the recent sanctions decision was appreciated, but did not otherwise comment.
&#8220;Dismantling Russia&#8217;s war machine is the most humane way to bring this war to an end,&#8221; Yusypiuk wrote in an email.
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Trump&#8217;s decision to hit Russia with sanctions capped a tumultuous week with respect to the administration&#8217;s Ukraine policy.
Trump spoke with Putin last week and then announced the pair planned to meet in Budapest, catching Ukraine off guard.
A day later Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Washington, where U.S. officials pressed Zelenskiy to give up territory in the Donbas region as part of a lopsided land swap to end the war. Zelenskiy pushed back, and Trump left the meeting with the position that the conflict should be frozen at its frontlines.
Then last weekend Russia sent a diplomatic note to Washington reiterating previous peace terms. A few days later Trump told reporters the planned meeting with Putin was off because &#8220;it just didn&#8217;t feel right to me.&#8221;
Speaking to CNN on Friday after arriving in Washington for talks with U.S. officials, Dmitriev said a meeting between Trump and Putin had not been cancelled, as the U.S. president described it, and that the two leaders will likely meet at a later date.
Trump ultimately decided to slap Russia with sanctions during a Wednesday meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a senior White House official said.
Behind the scenes, Ukraine got an apparent U.S. boost after the U.S. approval process for providing targeting data for long-range Ukrainian strikes in Russia was moved to U.S. European Command in Germany &#8211; viewed by U.S. and European officials as more hawkish on Russia &#8211; from the Pentagon in Washington, according to a U.S. and a European official.
However, Trump has said he was still not ready to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, which Kyiv has requested.
The U.S. is also putting pressure on Europe to further tighten the financial screws on Moscow. In announcing the U.S. sanctions, Bessent pushed the EU to follow. Broadly speaking, U.S. officials have criticized EU and NATO countries for not taking more decisive steps to stand up to Russia.
It will be more difficult, though, for the EU to unleash full-blocking sanctions on Lukoil than it is for the U.S., one senior EU official argued, given how heavily entangled Lukoil is with Europe&#8217;s economy. The oil company owns refineries in Bulgaria and Romania and has a robust retail gas station network throughout the continent.
&#8220;I think we need to find a way to disengage&#8230;before we can fully sanction,&#8221; the EU official said.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Steve Holland in Washington and Max Hunder in Kyiv; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Jonathan Landay and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington and Julia Payne in Brussels; Editing by Michelle Nichols and Diane Craft)

US-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-SUMMIT-TRUMP-PUTIN

U.S. Eyeing Further Sanctions On Russia, But First Wants Europe To Amp Up Pressure

Donald Trump

Europe

Global Politics

Russia

Sanctions

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

World

Persecution reaches a fever pitch in the “Christian Murder Capital” of the world, Russia ratchets up its saber-rattling with a nuclear drill, and an illegal immigrant honored by the City of Los Angeles allegedly rams an ICE vehicle.
It’s Thursday, October 23, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Christian Genocide You Probably Haven’t Heard Of</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-990063" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Christian-Murder-Capital-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Christian-Murder-Capital-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Christian-Murder-Capital-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Christian-Murder-Capital-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Christian-Murder-Capital-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Christian-Murder-Capital.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The Christian genocide ongoing in Nigeria has claimed thousands of lives this year alone, but human rights advocates say the Nigerian government has turned a blind eye.
In the first nine months of this year, advocacy groups estimate that more than 7,000 Christians have been killed across Nigeria, many in attacks that leave entire communities burned to the ground.
For more than a decade, this pattern of violence has gone largely unnoticed. But American lawmakers — including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) — are calling for Nigeria to be reclassified as a “country of particular concern” for religious persecution.
“Many in the media share the same woke mindset that they will not call out radical Islamic terrorism for what it is, especially when it&#8217;s Christians who are the victims. And so it takes the rest of us to highlight this needs to end,” Cruz told Morning Wire.
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Judd Saul is the founder of Equipping the Persecuted, a group that has been on the ground trying to minister to Nigerian Christians. He said the crisis has been building for decades as radical Muslim groups have been taking control of the area.
“What they have done is they move in, they populate, and once they gain population, they start taking political control. And once they gain political control, the killing starts,” Saul told Morning Wire.
These deaths often occur among women, children, and the elderly who can’t easily flee their small villages.
Why the silence: One of Saul’s biggest frustrations is how little the world knows about the ongoing genocide. The Nigerian government effectively controls what gets reported. Western outlets too often repeat official denials without sending reporters to see the devastation themselves.
“The mainstream media never shows up. They just take the government’s word for it, and every time Christians are killed, it’s always ‘unknown gunmen.’ But we know who’s doing it,” Saul said.
Now footage is emerging of burned churches, mass graves, and displaced families living under tarps in camps with no food or medicine.
Response from Washington: Cruz introduced legislation this month: the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025. It will impose sanctions on Nigerian officials accused of facilitating violence against Christians and other religious minorities.
Response from Nigeria: Nigerian officials continue to deny that Christians are being targeted for their faith. They’re framing the violence as clashes between herders and farmers. But many international watchdogs like Open Doors and International Christian Concern say that’s false.
Saul says the Nigerian military has repeatedly failed to respond to warnings of attacks. It’s because of this inaction that many Nigerian Christians are calling on the United States government to use its international influence to shine a spotlight on these atrocities.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Push For Peace In Ukraine</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-990061" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Peace-Summit-Axed-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Peace-Summit-Axed-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Peace-Summit-Axed-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Peace-Summit-Axed-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Peace-Summit-Axed-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Peace-Summit-Axed.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump canceled a second summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and hours later, a fresh barrage of Russian missiles rained down on Ukraine.
Moscow doesn’t appear to want to end the war. It recently launched another major missile and drone attack on Ukraine that killed seven people – part of Russia&#8217;s campaign to knock out Ukraine’s energy supplies ahead of winter.
According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-lifts-key-restriction-on-ukraines-use-of-western-long-range-missiles-5a15c12d?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqdQ8iMn0Xl6WlTrEflM-qAdv5sTUs7vuBvNZqNHOO44yer9ClOXnPh5RoBrwOw%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68f9bcbf&amp;gaa_sig=bR0aCbBe-iAb62JlmwUtP7EmQ0bOUlbyBoNFYlO5isMUbFBJT0FTYJFJG1PtWOXrVgGcUK2uNDoFNFO31R14WQ%3D%3D">The Wall Street Journal</a>, the United States has given Ukraine the green light to launch its own attacks inside Russian territory. Trump has <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115419686256202789">denied</a> that report, but on Tuesday, Ukraine used a British Storm Shadow cruise missile to hit a plant in Bryansk, Russia.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced on Wednesday a “substantial pickup” in sanctions against Russia.
The exchange in missile attacks came as Trump backed out of a second peace summit with Putin. It was supposed to be held in Budapest, Hungary. The White House canceled the summit after a phone call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Trump said Tuesday he <a href="https://x.com/Osint613/status/1980741977000821245">canceled</a> the summit because he did not “want to have a wasted meeting.”
Foreign policy experts <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/10/22/russia-does-not-feel-enough-pressure-ukraine-bombarded-over-2-deadly-nights-as-trump-sours-on-meeting-with-putin/">say</a> this was a necessary move by Trump, recognizing that Putin does not feel enough pressure for peace talks to be productive.
Ceasefire deal?: Trump said this week that the battle lines should be frozen where they are as a precondition to peace talks. Europe has backed that position, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I think that was [a] good compromise, but I’m not sure that Putin will support it,” Zelensky told reporters after landing in Oslo.
The Ukrainian president has continued to press his case for Tomahawk missiles after his meeting at the White House last week. Zelensky said in a <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1980683702448386417">post</a> on X that “Russia continues to do everything to weasel out” of a ceasefire, and “as soon as the issue of long-range capabilities for Ukraine became less immediate, [Moscow’s] interest in diplomacy faded. This signals that deep strike capabilities may hold the key to peace.”
Israel: Vice President JD Vance paid a visit to Israel this week, primarily signaling the Trump administration’s commitment to holding together the ceasefire and moving forward with Trump’s 20-point peace plan. While there, Vance recognized some of the limits of the current situation.
“You basically have two regions in Gaza, one of which is relatively safe – I wouldn&#8217;t say very safe – and one of which is incredibly dangerous, and part of ensuring that we get to a durable peace is to broaden the scope of the area that&#8217;s safe,” <a href="https://x.com/AdamMilstein/status/1980692659422576716">said</a> Vance. “The international security force is a big part of that. We don&#8217;t yet have the international security force set up. That&#8217;s something we&#8217;re working towards.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Illegal Alien TikToker Nabbed In Los Angeles</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-990059" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Anti-ICE-Activist-Shot-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Anti-ICE-Activist-Shot-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Anti-ICE-Activist-Shot-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Anti-ICE-Activist-Shot-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Anti-ICE-Activist-Shot-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Anti-ICE-Activist-Shot.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: An illegal immigrant and well-known TikToker was shot by federal authorities in Los Angeles after he tried to evade arrest for a second time and allegedly rammed a federal vehicle.
The illegal immigrant allegedly behind the attack is Carlitos Ricardo Parías, 44, who is known on TikTok as Richard LA and who regularly exposes ICE operations online to his more than 132,000 followers.
The suspect allegedly tried to impede an ICE operation months ago, but got away. He was seen in handcuffs being hauled into a vehicle by bystanders while federal authorities were trying to arrest him for allegedly interfering with immigration operations, federal law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire.
U.S. Marshals encountered him again this week, arresting him while he attempted to flee a second time. During the attack on ICE agents in which Parías allegedly rammed a federal vehicle, agents responded with gunfire, hitting Parías in the elbow. A U.S. Marshal was wounded by a ricochet bullet that hit him in the hand.
Parías has been charged with assaulting a federal officer, which carries a sentence of up to eight years in prison.
Parías has been considered somewhat of a local hero, being honored by the Los Angeles City Council for his “tireless efforts to safeguard our neighborhoods from illegal raids” in exposing ICE operations on TikTok.
He is being prosecuted aggressively by U.S. attorneys in part because federal officials get so little support in deep blue, sanctuary areas that protect illegal aliens.
New York City riot over deportations: Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday raided New York City’s Canal Street, notorious for illegal immigrant crime, as a mob of rioters attempted to stop them.
Law enforcement arrested illegal aliens of African origin, each with a lengthy rap sheet. Five of the aliens entered the United States illegally and were let go under former President Joe Biden.
The raid on Canal Street came after Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez exposed African immigrants selling counterfeit designer handbags along the sidewalk. The aliens would take off running wherever the police showed up.
Sanctuary policies have protected the illegal immigrants, as well as facilitated their illicit activities on Canal Street, according to federal officials.

MRN_251023_V1

Morning Brief: Nigerian Christians Slaughtered, Russia Standoff, & Illegal Alien TikToker Nabbed

Christianity

genocide

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Los Angeles

Media

Nigeria

Politics

Ted Cruz

TikTok

Ukraine

President Donald Trump&#8217;s planned second meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin appears canceled after a phone call between top U.S. and Russian officials.
The White House said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a &#8220;productive call&#8221; with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, adding that &#8220;there are no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future,&#8221; the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/21/us-news/trump-putin-meeting-canceled-after-russia-insists-goal-to-conquer-ukraine-has-not-changed/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost">reported</a> on Tuesday.
“Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov had a productive call,” a White House official told the Post. “Therefore, an additional-in-person meeting between the Secretary and Foreign Minister is not necessary, and there are no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future.”
President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to have a wasted meeting. I don&#8217;t want to have a waste of time.&#8221; Trump, however, left the door open for a second meeting with Putin.
&#8220;We&#8217;ll see what happens. We haven&#8217;t made a determination,&#8221; he added.
Trump held a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-holds-lengthy-call-with-putin-one-day-before-zelensky-set-to-visit-white-house">lengthy</a>&#8221; phone conversation with Putin last week one day before he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. After the call, Trump announced that he and Putin agreed to meet in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss bringing an end to the war in Ukraine.
Trump had previously met with Putin in Alaska on August 15 to negotiate a deal between Russia and Ukraine. Following the Alaska summit, Putin has continued his attacks on Ukraine.
Trump has considered sending American-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, which would allow Kyiv to fire at targets deep inside of Russia. During his meeting with Zelensky on Friday, however, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-zelensky-meeting-trump-indicates-he-is-not-ready-to-give-ukraine-tomahawk-missiles">suggested</a> that he wasn&#8217;t ready to provide Ukraine with the long-range cruise missiles. In an X <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1980683702448386417">post</a> on Tuesday, Zelensky argued that &#8220;as soon as the issue of long-range capabilities for Ukraine became less immediate, [Russia&#8217;s] interest in diplomacy faded.&#8221;
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&#8220;The greater Ukraine’s long-range reach, the greater Russia’s willingness to end the war. These weeks reaffirmed it,&#8221; Zelensky added. &#8220;Discussion on Tomahawks turned out to be a major investment in diplomacy – we forced Russia to reveal that Tomahawks are the card they take seriously. We will continue engaging with Europeans and Americans on long-range capabilities.&#8221;
With the second round of Trump-Putin talks now appearing unlikely, there remain no signs that Moscow is interested in ending the war. Russia has continued its attacks on Ukraine, killing four people with <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russian-attack-cuts-power-hundreds-thousands-northern-ukraine-2025-10-21/">strikes</a> on Tuesday targeting Ukraine&#8217;s Chernihiv region that also left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without power.
Trump is scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-1f22a02dda9adff079383370ee69f95c">reported</a>. Trump&#8217;s reported meeting with Rutte will come as European leaders are expected to discuss more economic sanctions on Russia during a meeting in Brussels. A statement put out by leaders from Ukraine, the U.K., Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Denmark, and the E.U. called for world leaders to &#8220;ramp up the pressure on Russia’s economy and its defense industry, until Putin is ready to make peace.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-US-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-SUMMIT-TRUMP-PRESSER

Second Trump-Putin Summit In Doubt After Rubio Talks With Russian Foreign Minister

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump suggested Friday that he is not ready to give Ukraine the United States Tomahawk missiles as he spoke publicly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
Zelensky came once again to Washington to speak with the president following Trump&#8217;s highly discussed call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. Trump announced on Thursday that he and Putin will soon meet in Budapest, Hungary, to hammer out details on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
On Friday, he suggested that the meeting will only be between him and Putin, pointing to the &#8220;tremendous bad blood&#8221; between Putin and Zelensky.
&#8220;They have tremendous bad blood,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;It really is what is holding up, I think, a settlement. I think we are going to get it done, and we have to make it long-lasting, as I said, in the Middle East, everlasting.&#8221;
&#8220;The Middle East is a much more complicated situation,&#8221; the president noted, referring to the peace deal he struck between Israel and Hamas. &#8220;You know, we had 59 countries involved, and every one of them agreed. And it&#8217;s, you know, it&#8217;s sort of amazing. Most people didn&#8217;t think that was doable. This is going to be something I really believe that&#8217;s going to get done. I had a very good talk yesterday with President Putin. I think he wants to get it done.&#8221;
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One notable conversation on Friday dealt with the Tomahawk missiles that the president of Ukraine wants to obtain from the United States. These missiles could allow Ukraine to attack deep inside Russia, particularly Russia&#8217;s oil industry, which has thus far helped Putin fund the war. But Trump did not commit to such a deal.
&#8220;We need Tomahawks, we need a lot of other weapons that we are sending to Ukraine,&#8221; the U.S. president said. &#8220;One of the reasons we want to get this war over is exactly that. It&#8217;s not easy for us to give &#8230; you&#8217;re talking about massive numbers of very powerful weapons, so that&#8217;s one of the things we&#8217;ll be talking about it. Hopefully they won&#8217;t need it. Hopefully we&#8217;ll be able to get the war over without thinking about Tomahawks. I think we&#8217;re fairly close to that.&#8221;
Zelensky argued that of course everyone wants to finish the war, but he added that Ukraine has thousands of drones, but not Tomahawks, which the United States has.
&#8220;They can have our thousands of drones, that&#8217;s where we can work together,&#8221; he insisted.
&#8220;Just so I understand, you&#8217;re suggesting kind of a trade,&#8221; asked Fox News&#8217; Peter Doocy. &#8220;If President Trump okays Tomahawk missiles to help you &#8230; then would authorize some kind of an exchange &#8230; President Trump &#8230; is that something you would be interested in?&#8221;
<div id="attachment_987841" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-zelensky-meeting-trump-indicates-he-is-not-ready-to-give-ukraine-tomahawk-missiles/zelenskiy-readies-list-of-promises-to-win-over-trump-on-weapons-3" rel="attachment wp-att-987841"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-987841" class="wp-image-987841 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241253220-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241253220-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241253220-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241253220-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241253220.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>US President Donald Trump, center left, during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine&#8217;s president, not pictured, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images.</div>
Trump responded that the U.S. is, in fact, interested in the Ukrainian drones, saying, &#8220;They make a really good drone. Drone warfare has really come to the fore over the last couple of years because of this war.&#8221;
But the president added: &#8220;We have a lot of different weapons. I have an obligation also, though, to make sure we are completely stocked up as a country because you never know what is going to happen, in war and peace, right? You never know what is going to happen. So we are going to be talking about Tomahawks. And we&#8217;d much rather have them not need Tomahawks. Would much rather have the war be over, to be honest.&#8221;
Trump emphasized that the United States is &#8220;in it to get the war over,&#8221; noting that the U.S. is selling a lot of different types of weapons to the European Union, but arguing: &#8220;We&#8217;re not in it for that, we&#8217;re in it to get it over.&#8221;
At another point during the Zelensky meeting, the Ukrainian president was asked to distinguish the biggest difference in diplomacy between Trump and former President Joe Biden.
&#8220;President Trump has a big chance now to finish this war,&#8221; Zelensky responded. &#8220;President Biden now is not the president, so he doesn&#8217;t have a chance to finish this war. And President Trump is really showed for the world that he can manage ceasefire in the Middle East. And that&#8217;s why I hope that he will do this. And we will also have such big success. For Ukraine, it&#8217;s a big chance, and I hope that President Trump can manage it.”
Trump, on the other hand, told reporters: “I would say the biggest difference is one is extremely competent and the other one is grossly incompetent.”

Zelenskiy Readies List Of Promises To Win Over Trump On Weapons

In Zelensky Meeting, Trump Indicates He Is Not Ready To Give Ukraine Tomahawk Missiles

President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115384956858741387">said</a> that he held a &#8220;lengthy&#8221; and &#8220;productive&#8221; phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, adding that the leaders agreed to meet in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss bringing an end to the war in Ukraine.
Trump did not say whether a date for his second meeting with Putin had been set. Next week, senior advisers from the United States and Russia will meet for discussions led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump added. The location of that meeting has not yet been determined.
Trump said that Putin congratulated him on securing a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, adding, &#8220;I actually believe that the Success in the Middle East will help in our negotiation in attaining an end to the War with Russia/Ukraine.&#8221;
Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday as the administration considers sending Ukraine long-range missiles that could be fired deeper into Russian territory. Earlier this week, Trump <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93xpqgzkv0o">told</a> reporters that he &#8220;might tell [Russia] that if the war is not settled, that we may very well, [send Tomahawks to Kyiv].&#8221;
&#8220;We may not, but we may do it,&#8221; Trump continued, adding, &#8220;Do they want Tomahawks going in their direction? I don&#8217;t think so.&#8221;
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump wrote that he would talk to Zelensky about the phone call with Putin &#8220;and much more.&#8221;
&#8220;I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,&#8221; the president said.
The Trump administration is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-to-give-ukraine-intel-on-russias-energy-weak-spots?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+To+Give+Ukraine+Intel+On+Russia%E2%80%99s+Energy+Weak+Spots">reportedly</a> providing Ukraine with intelligence on key Russian energy infrastructure — the first time since the war began that the U.S. has helped Ukraine target sites deep inside Russian territory.
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Russia has shown no signs of ending its war against Ukraine as it continues to hammer the country following Trump&#8217;s summit with Putin in Alaska in August. In the past three weeks, Russia has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russia-slams-ukraine-with-nearly-600-drones-and-50-missiles?author=Reuters&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Russia+Slams+Ukraine+With+Nearly+600+Drones+And+50+Missiles">pounded</a> Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, killing multiple people and — at one point — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thousands-in-kyiv-plunged-into-darkness-after-mass-russian-attack?author=Reuters&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Thousands+In+Kyiv+Plunged+Into+Darkness+After+Mass+Russian+Attack">plunging</a> Kyiv into darkness.
As Russia&#8217;s attacks continue, the president has ramped up his criticism of Putin. On Tuesday, Trump said that the war is making Putin &#8220;look very bad.&#8221;
“I don’t know why he continues with this war,” Trump said, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5558380-trump-criticizes-putin-ukraine-war/">The Hill</a>. “He should have won that war in one week.”
“He just doesn’t want to end that war. And I think it’s making him look very bad,” he added. “I have to tell you, I give credit because who would think that Ukraine could have fought Russia for four years to essentially a standstill.”

Trump And Putin To Meet In Budapest To Seek End Of ‘Inglorious’ Ukraine War

President Donald Trump pivots from the Middle East to peace in Ukraine, Trump intervenes to protect military paychecks amid the Democrat shutdown, and drug cartels declare “open season” on federal agents.
It’s Thursday, October 16, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">After Middle East Peace, Trump Turns Toward Russia</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-986667" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trump-Eyes-Ukraine-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trump-Eyes-Ukraine-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trump-Eyes-Ukraine-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trump-Eyes-Ukraine-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trump-Eyes-Ukraine-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trump-Eyes-Ukraine.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: After securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Trump has shifted his focus to the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will make his third trip to the White House on Friday since Trump began his second term. The two are expected to discuss supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons, such as Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as additional air defenses to counter Russian bombardments.
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The United States has reportedly started to share intelligence on Russian energy infrastructure with Ukraine, increasing Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russian territory.
Trump pushes Putin: The U.S. president has made clear in recent months that he sees Russian President Vladimir Putin as the main obstacle to peace in the Ukraine war. The president is reportedly considering additional sanctions on Russia to increase pressure on Putin to negotiate.
“I’m very disappointed because Vladimir and I had a good relationship,” <a href="https://youtu.be/hfwxTnKt6iA?t=2418">said</a> Trump on Tuesday. “He just doesn’t want to end that war.”
View from Moscow: Moscow has said that even if Tomahawks were provided to Ukraine, that would not “change the dynamic” of the war. A Kremlin spokesman later added that the missiles would be an “extreme concern.” Putin said that he would increase Russia’s air defense, but he did not mention escalation on his end.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Shuffles Funds In Dem Shutdown To Pay Military</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-986669" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Funding-The-Frontlines-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Funding-The-Frontlines-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Funding-The-Frontlines-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Funding-The-Frontlines-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Funding-The-Frontlines-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Funding-The-Frontlines.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Two weeks into a Democrat shutdown, and now federal employees are starting to feel the effects. On Wednesday, military personnel were set to miss their first paychecks, but President Trump ordered War Secretary Pete Hegseth to find a way to keep the troops paid.
Morning Wire spoke with Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), chairman of the Republican Study Committee. (The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.)
Morning Wire: Now we&#8217;ve crossed one of the first thresholds for missed pay of this shutdown. There were fears that the military would miss a paycheck this week, but then Trump intervened. How did that go down? 
Pfluger: As a veteran and as somebody who served for over 20 years, this is personal to me because I saw it firsthand during previous shutdowns, where you had especially the junior enlisted personnel, those with families and young kids, some of them on food stamps. This puts them in a terrible position, and commanders, instead of focusing on the mission and the threat, readiness and lethality now have to focus on how are their men and women in uniform going to put food on the table? Thankfully, Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth came up with a plan to pay the troops and that is happening mid-month. But it doesn&#8217;t last forever, so if Democrats keep up their shenanigans and keep up the shameful approach that they&#8217;re using and showing why they don&#8217;t really like the military, then I&#8217;m not sure that they&#8217;re going to get a paycheck on the next pay period.
Morning Wire: To be clear – they managed to pay everyone this time, but this isn&#8217;t something that can continue for weeks. 
Pfluger: Yeah, they&#8217;re pulling money out of other areas. I mean, the money that they&#8217;re using to pay the troops was probably intended to go to operations or readiness or things like that. It was not the bucket that Congress appropriated for military pay, personnel pay, so this isn&#8217;t going to last forever.
Morning Wire: Is there any way that Congress could ensure going forward that this doesn&#8217;t happen again, particularly with the military? Can we put in place emergency measures for how government shutdowns affect military members?
Pfluger: I sure hope so. I think there&#8217;s an appetite for that. And I&#8217;d go a step further. I would include Border Patrol. I would include law enforcement, federal law enforcement, all the agencies that are charged with keeping us safe, national security level agencies. I&#8217;d go a step further on that. But let me just say this. Where are my Democrat colleagues on the other side of the aisle who served in uniform? Where are they right now? Why are they not standing up and taking the stand and saying enough is enough? … I&#8217;d like to see a country where we come back together and we unite and do the right thing. I thought that was going to happen after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and, obviously, it hasn’t.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">DHS Says Cartels Threaten Federal Immigration Agents</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-986671" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cartels-Target-ICE-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cartels-Target-ICE-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cartels-Target-ICE-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cartels-Target-ICE-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cartels-Target-ICE-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cartels-Target-ICE.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Federal immigration agents carrying out President Trump&#8217;s immigration enforcement efforts in Chicago are facing mounting threats stemming from drug cartels in Mexico, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 
Intelligence on threats is coming into federal immigration agencies daily, an agent on the ground in Chicago told The Daily Wire. Mexican drug cartels are recruiting and operating within the city of Chicago to go after ICE and Border Patrol agents. 
DHS says cartels are offering up to $50,000 in bounties for the heads of federal officers. On top of that, they are recruiting leftist, anti-ICE agitators who have already been out in the streets, and they’re asking them to help.
According to DHS, cartels are placing armed spotters on top of rooftops in areas where ICE agents are making arrests, and the spotters mark the coordinates of ICE officers and Border Patrol agents and relay their whereabouts.
The threats: The latest allegedly involved a Latin Kings gang member. A leader of that gang was nabbed by the federal authorities in Chicago. He is accused of placing a bounty on the head of Operation Midway Blitz, Chief Gregory Bovino.
On Tuesday, Border Patrol agents were rammed by an illegal alien driver who also had an illegal alien passenger in his car. That brought an anti-ICE riot mob to one of the quiet neighborhoods in Chicago.
The riot forced federal authorities to deploy tear gas. Federal officials were targeted with rocks and other objects.
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Morning Brief: Trump’s Peace Plan Pivot, Troops Paid In Dem Shutdown, & Cartel Targets ICE Agents

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WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he believes Ukraine could &#8220;take back&#8221; its country in its &#8220;original form&#8221; from Russia, promising to continue to supply weapons for NATO.
The president spoke out shortly after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations headquarters in New York. About 20 minutes later, the president posted a lengthy message on his platform, TruthSocial, sharing a rather surprising update.
&#8220;After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_976007" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-ukraine-could-take-back-its-country-in-original-form-from-russia/world-leaders-gather-for-the-80th-session-of-the-united-nations-general-assembly-3" rel="attachment wp-att-976007"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-976007" class="wp-image-976007 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236960647-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236960647-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236960647-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236960647-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236960647.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive at the UN’s General Assembly (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;Why not?&#8221; he questioned. &#8220;Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like &#8216;a paper tiger.'&#8221;
The president continued: &#8220;When the people living in Moscow, and all of the Great Cities, Towns, and Districts all throughout Russia, find out what is really going on with this War, the fact that it’s almost impossible for them to get Gasoline through the long lines that are being formed, and all of the other things that are taking place in their War Economy, where most of their money is being spent on fighting Ukraine, which has Great Spirit, and only getting better, Ukraine would be able to take back their Country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that!&#8221;
Trump concluded the Truth Social missive by promising to continue to supply weapons to NATO.
&#8220;Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!&#8221;
The White House declined to provide any further information on the topic at this time.

Trump Meets With Foreign Dignitaries On Sidelines Of UNGA

Donald Trump: Ukraine Could ‘Take Back’ Its Country In ‘Original Form’ From Russia

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that there was one prize that was more valuable to him than any Nobel Peace Prize or international recognition — &#8220;the sons and daughters who live to grow up&#8221; because of the wars that were ended or prevented altogether.
Trump raised the topic of the prestigious <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pax-trumpana-trumps-resume-for-winning-the-nobel-peace-prize">Nobel Peace Prize</a> during his remarks before the United Nations, noting that several world leaders had already voiced support for him to receive it. Just this year, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had formally nominated him receive it, as had the government of Pakistan.
And while such recognition for his foreign policy achievements might certainly be a feather in his cap, Trump told the UN General Assembly that the lives saved when wars were ended were the greatest prize.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: After ending these wars and earlier negotiating the Abraham Accords, everyone says that I should get the Nobel Prize — but for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless wars. <a href="https://t.co/msmmbfCRY1">pic.twitter.com/msmmbfCRY1</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970495024522772744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Now after ending all of these wars and also earlier negotiating the Abraham Accords, which is a very big thing for which our country received no credit, it never receives credit, everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize for each one of these achievements,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;But for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up with their mothers and fathers because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless and inglorious wars,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;What I care about is not winning prizes, it&#8217;s saving lives. We&#8217;re saving millions and millions of lives with the seven wars, and we have others that we&#8217;re working on — and you know that.&#8221;
Trump mentioned the Abraham Accords directly, but also referenced peace deals he negotiated in his second term alone — between Armenia and Azerbaijan, between India and Pakistan, between Thailand and Cambodia — and the recent ceasefire deal he brokered between Israel and Iran.

World Leaders Gather For The 80th Session Of The United Nations General Assembly

Trump Says There’s One ‘Prize’ He Values More Than Any Nobel Peace Prize

Trump Says There's One 'Prize' He Values More Than Any Nobel Peace Prize

India

Nobel Peace Prize

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Polish officials said Wednesday its forces had shot down a “huge number” of Russian drones overnight that violated the country’s airspace during an attack on Ukraine.
Polish fighter jets, backed by NATO aircraft from Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, intercepted and destroyed the drones, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said. He added that allies stood in solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s “reckless behavior.”
“Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk <a href="https://x.com/donaldtusk/status/1965663914139824231">wrote</a> on X. “I am in constant communication with the Secretary General of NATO and our allies.”
He said 19 drones had been in Polish airspace, later telling Parliament that Russia had gone too far. 
&#8220;I have no reason to claim we&#8217;re on the brink of war, but a line has been crossed, and it&#8217;s incomparably more dangerous than before,&#8221; Tusk said, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/poland-is-its-closest-open-conflict-since-world-war-two-pm-says-2025-09-10/">according</a> to Reuters. &#8220;This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II.”
The Kremlin refused to comment on the situation.
“This is not for us to do so,&#8221; said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c2enwk1l9e1t">according</a> to the BBC. &#8220;It’s a matter for the [Russian] defence ministry.”
Russia&#8217;s Defense Ministry <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poland-drones-1232774279039f9e5c5b78bd58686cb9">said</a> it did not target Poland, and General Pavel Muraveiko, the Russian-aligned commander of Belarus’s armed forces, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/world/europe/poland-russia-drones-ukraine-attack.html">claimed</a> that the drones “lost their course as a result of electronic warfare.”
Several European leaders condemned the drone incursion. 
“This was an extremely reckless move by Russia and only serves to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace, and the constant bombardment innocent Ukrainians face every day,&#8221; said U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 
“Hungary stands in full solidarity with Poland following the recent drone incident. The violation of Poland’s territorial integrity is unacceptable,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote on X. “The incident proves that our policy of calling for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war is reasonable and rational. Living in the shadow of a war is fraught with risks and dangers. It’s time to make it stop! To this end, we support the efforts of President [Donald Trump] aimed at achieving peace.”
President Donald Trump has pushed for an end to the Ukraine-Russia war, but the fighting between the two countries has continued. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have not yet met to discuss a possible end to the conflict.

NATO member Poland shoots down Russian drones in unprecedented ‘airspace violation’

Poland Downs ‘Huge Number’ Of Russian Drones Violating Its Sovereign Airspace

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Poland has placed its air defense forces on high alert following reports that Russian drones entered its airspace during overnight attacks on Ukraine.
&#8220;The Operational Command of the Armed Forces is observing intense activity of the Russian Federation&#8217;s long-range aviation tonight, related to air and missile strikes on targets located in the territory of Ukraine,&#8221; the operational command of the Polish armed forces wrote on X. &#8220;All necessary procedures to ensure the safety of Polish airspace have been activated, and the Operational Command of the Armed Forces is continuously the situation. We warn that Polish and allied aircraft have been activated, which may result in increased noise levels, especially in the southeastern region of the country.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ obserwuje dzisiejszej nocy intensywną aktywność lotnictwa dalekiego zasięgu Federacji Rosyjskiej, związaną z uderzeniami lotniczo-rakietowymi na obiekty znajdujące się na terytorium Ukrainy.
Wszystkie niezbędne procedury mające na celu zapewnienia… <a href="https://t.co/hnhbaxanVc">pic.twitter.com/hnhbaxanVc</a>
— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/DowOperSZ/status/1771738523600556042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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According to Ukrainian military officials, multiple Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace while en route to targets in western Ukraine. Poland’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the airspace violation and responded by activating its aircraft, radar systems, and ground-based air defenses. No damage or injuries were reported, and the drones reportedly exited Polish airspace without being intercepted.
This is the latest in a series of drone-related incidents involving Poland. Earlier this month, on September 2 and 3, two Russian drones also briefly entered Polish territory but did not cause harm. In a more serious incident on August 20, a Shahed drone crashed and exploded in a cornfield roughly 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
In response to the increasing frequency of these incursions, Poland is taking broader security measures. Airspace over Warsaw was <a href="https://bnonews.com/index.php/2025/09/poland-on-high-alert-after-ukraine-says-russian-drones-entered-its-airspace/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reportedly closed</a>. The government announced that it will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/10/ukraine-war-briefing-russian-drone-alert-in-poland-before-belarus-border-closure?utm_source=chatgpt.com">close its border</a> with Belarus starting Thursday, citing growing concerns over the ongoing joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises known as Zapad-2025. Polish authorities view the drills, taking place near its eastern frontier, as a potential threat to national security.
Several regional airports were temporarily closed as a precaution during the latest drone alert. No civilian casualties have been reported, but air travel and commercial logistics have been disrupted.
Poland’s actions come amid rising fears of spillover from the ongoing war in Ukraine, with NATO member states increasingly concerned about the potential for cross-border incidents. While NATO has not issued a formal response to the latest drone intrusion, Polish officials have reportedly briefed alliance partners and continue to coordinate surveillance and airspace defense measures with neighboring countries.
The Polish government has emphasized its readiness to defend national airspace and respond to further provocations. “We are treating these violations with the utmost seriousness,” a defense ministry spokesperson said. “Our armed forces are fully prepared to take necessary action.”
The situation remains fluid, with officials urging the public to remain alert but calm. Further monitoring of the eastern border is underway, and authorities have not ruled out additional security measures in the coming days.
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Russia Hits Government Building in Kyiv During Air Barrage

Poland On High Alert After Russian Drones Violate Airspace

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&#8217;s chief of staff discussed Russian strikes on Ukrainian targets with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday and told him a government building that came under attack on Sunday was hit by a Russian ballistic missile.
Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, writing on Telegram, also said he and Rubio discussed U.S. military aid for Ukraine, security guarantees for Ukraine that have been under discussion with Kyiv&#8217;s allies, and increased pressure on Russia.
&#8220;I informed him of the constant Russian strikes that attack our cities, our residential buildings with drones and missiles,&#8221; Yermak wrote.
&#8220;They kill civilians and children, destroy our infrastructure. For the first time, the enemy attacked the Ukrainian Government building &#8211; the strike was carried out by an Iskander ballistic missile.&#8221;
In a separate post, Yermak said he had held a video conference with the national security advisers of Britain, France, Germany, and Italy.
He said the discussion was a continuation of a meeting in Paris last week with Ukrainian allies within the Coalition of the Willing and said &#8220;a further strengthening of Ukraine&#8217;s positions in confronting Russian aggression is necessary.&#8221;
The European Union&#8217;s top sanctions official was in Washington with a team of experts to discuss what would be the first coordinated transatlantic measures against Russia since President Donald Trump returned to office.
On Sunday, after the war&#8217;s biggest air attack set fire to a government building in Kyiv, Trump said he was ready to move to a second phase of restrictions.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Chris Reese, Rod Nickel)

View shows Ukrainian government headquarters building damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike in Kyiv

Rubio Meets With Zelensky’s Chief Of Staff To Discuss Recent Russian Strikes

Marco Rubio

President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that China was conspiring with North Korea and Russia as it conducted a massive military parade. 
China’s military parade, to celebrate Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II, was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. In a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115137717177283585">post</a>, Trump said the three were working to “conspire” against the United States and pondered whether China would recognize America’s World War II contributions. 
“The big question to be answered is whether or not President Xi of China will mention the massive amount of support and ‘blood’ that The United States of America gave to China in order to help it to secure its FREEDOM from a very unfriendly foreign invader,” Trump wrote. “Many Americans died in China’s quest for Victory and Glory. I hope that they are rightfully Honored and Remembered for their Bravery and Sacrifice! May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration. Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”
During the parade, China <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-military-parade-world-war-xi-jinping-ed1f7b3e245882dd91b597df24eafbea">showcased</a> a wide array of military equipment and capabilities, including an underwater drone, hypersonic missiles, an intercontinental ballistic missile, and fighter jets. 
“The Chinese people are a people that are not afraid of violence and are self-reliant and strong,” Chinese President Xi Jinping <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-military-parade-world-war-xi-jinping-ed1f7b3e245882dd91b597df24eafbea">said</a>, according to the Associated Press. “The Chinese people’s rejuvenation cannot be blocked, and the noble goal of the peaceful development of human civilization must triumph.”
Russia pushed back on Trump’s conspiracy allegations. 
“Let’s hope that it was meant in some figurative sense,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09/03/us/trump-news/ca4818c8-0044-558f-aa96-b2e849102cc4?smid=url-share">said</a> Putin spokesman Dmitri Peskov. “No one is plotting any conspiracies — no one has the desire or the time for this.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6aGNqrwmHY">said</a> that he didn’t think the military parade was a “challenge” to the United States. 
“China needs us and I have a very good relationship with President Xi as you know. But China needs us much more than we need them,” Trump said. “I had, actually, a very good meeting with President Putin a couple of weeks ago. We’ll see if anything comes of it. If it doesn’t, we’ll take a different stance.”
The Trump administration is currently working to negotiate a trade deal with China after months of back-and-forth tariffs. Last month, Trump signed a 90-day pause on higher tariffs on China as the two sides continue to work out a deal.

CHINA-DEFENCE-ANNIVERSARY-WWII-PARADE

Trump Accuses China Of Plotting Against US As Xi Flexes Military Power Alongside Putin

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