September 20, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia's war in Ukraine has moved here.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during his meeting Wednesday with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

Russia wants “to continue further interaction with the agency in order to “stop the threats to the operation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP” and “ensure its normal functioning,” the statement said.

Russia blamed Ukraine for creating the threats to the safe operation of the plant.  

According to the statement, both parties exchanged views “on the main areas” of the IAEA activities. 

Lavrov also said that depleted uranium shells that the “collective West” supplies to Kyiv can cause “a long-term destructive effect.”

Some background: On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an appeal 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 General Assembly, referring to the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia plant.

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.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Wednesday evening with Wall Street CEOs and business power players to discuss efforts to rebuild his war-torn country and its economy, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.

The roundtable, convened by JPMorgan Chase, included former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, billionaire Mike Bloomberg, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and billionaire Barry Sternlicht, the source said. 

The focus of Wednesday’s gathering, held in Midtown Manhattan, was to discuss ways to support and invest in the reconstruction of Ukraine, the source told CNN.

The meeting, first reported by Fox Business, was said to be productive and lasted longer than expected, though it’s not immediately clear if it resulted in any firm commitments from the business leaders.

In February, JPMorgan sent a delegation to Kyiv to brief Zelensky on options to stabilize Ukraine’s beleaguered economy and help the country access the capital required to rebuild it. Ukrainian officials signed a memorandum of understanding with JPMorgan to help create a roadmap for reconstruction. 

The meeting comes just a day after Zelensky’s dramatic UN speech where he called for global unity in the face of Russian aggression.

Zelensky is scheduled to visit the White House on Thursday for a meeting with President Joe Biden.

Russia intercepted 22 Ukrainian drone attacks early Thursday, Russia's Ministry of Defense said on Telegram. 

No casualties or damage have been reported so far by the Russian defense ministry or Russian regional officials.

Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the strikes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the possibility of providing free access for Ukrainian agricultural products to European Union countries during a meeting with several EU leaders on Wednesday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Romanian President Klaus lohannis, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel and Zelensky met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. 

The talks were primarily focused on “preserving the single market principle and free access of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU market,” according to the office of the Ukrainian Presidency.

Zelensky noted that “the Joint Coordination Platform for Export and Transit of Ukrainian Agricultural Products” has been established and that it serves as “an effective mechanism for maintaining an ongoing dialogue.” He added that it resolves “all problematic issues in the field of agricultural products.” 

Zelensky emphasized the importance of protecting “the competitive advantages of each EU member in conditions of free trade.” 

In particular, Zelensky discussed “finding effective solutions in the field of logistics, increasing the capacity of ports, including the Black Sea port of Constanța, and river transport on the Danube River” with Romanian and Bulgarian officials.   

The participants discussed alternative transportation routes through Romania and Bulgaria, which would "significantly increase transit volumes and reduce the burden on the domestic markets of these countries," the Ukrainian Presidency office said.   

“Over 60% of transit of Ukrainian grain that passes through the EU's Solidarity Lanes” is through Romania, Zelensky said.

The so-called "solidarity lanes" – established by the EU in May 2022 – are designed to provide alternative land routes for the export of Ukrainian grain after Moscow blockaded docks in the Black Sea region.

The measures include new border posts, flexible customs checks, logistics support, prioritization of Ukrainian agricultural exports and new storage facilities on the EU’s side of the border.

The Biden administration briefed members of the Senate on Ukraine Wednesday as the Republican party remains split on whether the US must continue to provide aid to and support the war-ravaged nation.

With a deadline to pass a spending bill coming up next week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that if there is a government shutdown or Congress passes a temporary continuing resolution that does not include Ukraine aid, "Ukraine could run the very strong risk of being defeated." 

But Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said he needs to hear more information about the path to victory before any more money is given. 

“If there's a path that there's some path to victory in Ukraine, I didn't hear it today. And I also heard that there was going to be no end to the funding requests," he said following the briefing.

Hawley argued that the money given to Ukraine is coming from taxpayers, saying "it's the American people's money, and they spent $115 billion of it and so far, they have basically nothing to show for it."

Hawley also said he wasn’t planning to attend the briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the US Capitol on Thursday, but said he may reconsider in order to hear about the status of the war directly from the Ukrainian president.

Graham pushed back on some of Hawley’s assertions, specifically comments from Hawley that "what we're doing in Ukraine is helping with the China fight, that is not the truth."

"For all these people who say we need to get out of Ukraine to be tough on China, you're making a fatal mistake," Graham said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for the first time in person on Wednesday. The leaders talked on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

“We had a good conversation about the importance of paths to building peace and always maintaining open dialogue between our countries,” Lula said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Brazilian president has largely taken a neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war.

Zelensky called the meeting "honest and constructive discussion," adding that both presidents directed their respective diplomats "to work on the next steps in our bilateral relations and peace efforts," he said in a statement. 

Zelensky also said that Brazilian representatives would continue to take part in meetings concerning Ukraine’s peace formula for ending Russia’s war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the United Nations Security Council to remove Russia's veto power, arguing that "this will be the first necessary step."

During a speech at Wednesday’s UN Security Council meeting, Zelensky said Ukrainian soldiers are doing on the battlefield "at the expense of their blood" what the UN Security Council "should do by its voting."

But the odds of change seem slim for now. Any attempt to reform the Security Council would require the assent of the existing five permanent members of the powerful Security Council — otherwise known as the P5 that includes Russia, the United Kingdom, France, the United States and China.

Zelensky also called for former President 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 the Ukrainian president cautioned in an interview Tuesday that any peace plan where Ukraine gives up territory would be unacceptable.

Here are other headlines you should know:

The White House is planning to provide a new aid package to Ukraine when President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Thursday, a US official told CNN. 

The package — based on existing drawdown authority — will include additional artillery, anti-armor, anti-aircraft and air defense capabilities that will better equip the country for an ongoing counteroffensive and beyond. 

Zelensky “will be leaving the White House with a significant package of additional capabilities to help near- and long-term defenses,” this official said. 

The package’s air defense capabilities are also expected to help Ukraine defend its skies ahead of a tough winter, with more strikes expected on critical infrastructure.  

Notably, the package is not expected to include Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, that would allow Ukrainian soldiers the ability to strike longer-range targets.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that ATACMs are “not off the table,” but that the agencies reviewing whether to provide the weapons have not reached a decision.   

US military has briefed the White House that, while ATACMs would provide longer-range and longer-term defense capabilities, Ukraine’s more pressing needs during the counteroffensive are vehicles, mine-clearing equipment, and short-range anti-aircraft equipment to breach Russian defenses.