Zelenskyy at UN: Russia Prolongs War against Ukraine

The following is the text of the address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine at the the High-Level Meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine delivered Wednesday, September 24, 2025.

My bulletted highlights appear first.

• World’s attention to the UN is fading. The Organization has less influence

• One of the permanent members of this Council is doing everything to prolong the largest war in Europe since World War 2.

• Russia does this with impunity, using its veto power, buying influence, and keeping peace on hold.

• If China truly wanted this war to stop, it could compel Moscow to end the invasion. Without China, Putin’s Russia is nothing. 

• The Budapest Memorandum, meant to guarantee Ukraine’s security in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons, failed.

• Why do I say this now and here? Because you – the United States, China, Britain, France – the Permanent Members of the Security Council – represent the world’s essential power, the power that must act when international law alone cannot.

• And no, not Russia. With this war, Russia has discredited itself – even for those who do not yet criticize Putin openly, they still feel that Russia’s presence brings no good.

Thank you very much, President.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General,

Distinguished leaders, representatives of states and governments, and all those who still pay attention to the work of the United Nations,

We must admit: the world’s attention to the UN is fading. The Organization has less influence, and too often, there is a lack of real decisions on fundamental issues. 

This is exactly what we need to speak about today, about the tools that, sadly, are not working now. But they will work, I’m sure, they will work – if you are active, if we are active. Because the main tool is in your hands.

First of all, I thank the Republic of Korea for this meeting of the Security Council and for the opportunity to call for peace. Today, there will be a clear call for peace in this Council. And here is one of the main distortions of our time – whom must we call to peace and on whom must we press to achieve it?

One of the permanent members of this Council is doing everything to prolong the largest war in Europe since World War 2. Russia does this with impunity, using its veto power, buying influence, and keeping peace on hold. The Russian representative is here. But of course, not the one who makes the real decisions. That man fears to sit face to face with Ukraine and the world and openly admit – he wants only war. Instead, Putin sends delegates who cannot and don’t want to stop the bloodshed. And when he appears abroad – in Beijing, or somewhere else – it’s only to buy more time for killing, pretending he seeks diplomacy. 

Putin only cares about using every meeting, every chance to keep the war going. Each day, Russia kills our people, destroys our cities, and leaves no sign it will ever return to the principles of the UN Charter.

China is also represented here. A powerful nation on which Russia now depends completely. If China truly wanted this war to stop, it could compel Moscow to end the invasion. Without China, Putin’s Russia is nothing. Yet too often, China stays silent and distant instead of active for peace.

The United States of America is present here as well – a strong nation that supports our defense. And we’ve said “yes” to every proposal from the U.S. President for a ceasefire and talks with Russia to bring peace – but Russia always says “no” or tries to confuse everyone so that even a ceasefire can’t happen. And I met with President Trump just now. And we spoke about how to finally bring peace. And we discussed a few good ideas, and I hope they will work. I’m grateful for this meeting. And we expect America’s actions to push Russia toward peace. Moscow fears America – and always pays attention to it.

The United Kingdom is here, a permanent member of the Security Council. France is here, also a permanent member. Both nations support us, support our people, our independence, both promote diplomacy. And both are parties to a document that was supposed to be a positive milestone – together with the other permanent members of the UN Security Council – but instead, it became a warning to the world. The Budapest Memorandum, meant to guarantee Ukraine’s security in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons, failed. It proved that international promises can turn into blabbering. That is why today, with Britain, with France, and already with more than 30 nations in our Coalition of Willing, we are building a new security architecture. We count on the United States of America as a backstop. Real security guarantees must become the line Russia cannot cross again. 

Here is one example of how strength can stop war – if we could strengthen our skies with a joint system to shoot down Russian missiles and drones, it would force Russia to stop its attacks from the sky – because everything could be shot down. And so, Putin would be forced to sit here, or in another respectful venue, and look for a truce on the ground. If there’s no war in the sky – Russia can’t keep fighting on the ground. I’ve talked about this with President Trump and with other leaders.

Why do I say this now and here? Because you – the United States, China, Britain, France – the Permanent Members of the Security Council – represent the world’s essential power, the power that must act when international law alone cannot. And no, not Russia. With this war, Russia has discredited itself – even for those who do not yet criticize Putin openly, they still feel that Russia’s presence brings no good.

Excellencies,

Behind every international institution, there must be real strength to enforce decisions. This is true for the Security Council and for the UN as a whole. If you stand together for ending this war, even Russia will have to obey. And if some of you act, while others delay, the war goes on.

Ukraine wants peace more than anyone in the world. The front is on our land. And we mourn our people, and we try to save our cities and to save our small villages. Russia ignores its dead, blind to its own losses. But one day, one day it will see, and it will hear. And it will happen when it sees your actions, when it hears your united call for peace.

That is my appeal to you today – be the force that acts. Act together. Please. Unite at last to stop Russia’s war.

And we know how to guarantee security. What we need now is a strong push – to force Russia toward peace.

Thank you.

Glory to Ukraine!

Trump Says Ukraine can Defeat Russia

Making a dramatic about face, President Donald Trump has blessed Ukraine’s intention to defeat Russia and return to its national domain temporarily occupied Ukrainian lands.

Trump on Tuesday, September 23, a day before President Volodymyr Zelensky is to address the 80^th UN General Assembly, argued Ukraine could win its war against Russia and regain the land it had lost and “maybe even go further than that,” suggesting the Russian army was a “paper tiger.”

Trump virtually gave Ukraine the go ahead to bomb Russia into the Stone Age and win the war that it started in February 2022. This expression of his courage and resolve in supporting Ukraine will certainly anger the Russian leadership.

“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 (Trump’s capitals) all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump posted on Truth Social. 

“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,” he added. “Why not?”

The president’s social media post came on the heels of a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations with Zelensky. The two leaders discussed the war in Ukraine, which has been raging since Russian forces invaded in February 2022, and efforts by the U.S. to hinder Moscow’s war machine.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said Russia had 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 ‘a paper tiger,’” Trump wrote.

The president suggested Russian citizens could stop supporting the war effort as they learn it is hurting the economy.

“Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act,” Trump posted. “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!”

Earlier, Trump had hinted of change of heart about Russia’s war against Ukraine. In his address at the UNGA, Trump noted, “I’ve also been working relentlessly to stop the killing in Ukraine. I thought that would be one of the seven wars I stopped. I thought that would be the easiest because of my relationship with President Putin, which had always been a good one. I thought it was going to be the easiest one. But in war, you never know what’s going to happen. There are always lots of surprises, both good and bad.
“Everyone thought Russia would win this war in three days, but it didn’t work out that way. It was supposed to be just a quick little skirmish. It’s not making Russia look good—it’s making them look bad, no matter what happens from here on out. This was something that should have taken a matter of days, certainly less than a week. And they’ve been fighting for three and a half years, killing anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 young soldiers, mostly on both sides, every single week, additional deaths in cities where rockets are shot and drones are dropped.

“This war would never have started if I were president. It shows what leadership—or bad leadership—can do to a country. Look at what happened to the United States and where we are right now in just a short period of time. The only question now is: how many more lives will be needlessly lost on both sides?”

Trump said he had thought it would be “the easiest” conflict to resolve because of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, he said, the war had dragged on for three years, “killing five to seven thousand young people a week.”

Trump also accused North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries of hypocrisy for buying oil and gas from Moscow “when they are fighting Russia.”

His proposed solution is punitive tariffs: “If Russia does not end the war, the United States will impose very strict tariffs which would end the war very quickly, but the Europeans have to adopt them as well.”

Trump’s subsequent post marked the latest shift in rhetoric toward the war in Ukraine. Earlier this year, Trump had been adamant that Zelensky would need to be willing to make territorial concessions as part of a peace agreement after Russian forces advanced into Ukraine over the past three years.

Trump met last month with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which yielded no specific progress toward peace. He later hosted Zelensky and European leaders at the White House to discuss potential security guarantees for Ukraine moving forward.

The president has also in recent weeks urged European nations to stop purchasing Russian oil as a way to undercut Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Asked during his meeting with Zelensky on Tuesday whether he could trust Putin still, Trump told reporters he would let them know in “about a month.”

That would be October 23, 2025.

Ukrainians really do Believe They could Defeat Russia

In my post of August 31, I wrote that the widespread belief in Ukraine is that Russia could be defeated in its war and the Ukrainian nation could emerge victorious.

I wrote that at a gathering last month of senior Ukrainian government officials and Ukrainian American civic leaders at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City, this point – victory – was enunciated.

In a brief overview of the issues at hand, Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President, who is regarded as the most powerful official in Kyiv after President Zelenskyy, unabashedly used the word “victory” in his statement. I decided to pursue this in the Q&A and asked him to confirm that Ukraine’s victory over Russia is possible and it’s not a naïve wish of Ukrainians in Ukraine and around the world.

Yermak said, yes, and elaborated that all of Ukraine, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is committed to that real end.

As pompous as that sounds, Yermak was not exaggerating – much to the irritation of President Donald J. Trump.

According to a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), a total of 76% of Ukrainians believe that Ukraine can defeat Russia in the war if it receives appropriate support from the West, including sanctions against Russia and assistance in weapons and funding.

“The absolute majority of Ukrainians – 76% – believe in the possibility of winning the war if Ukraine is properly supported by the sanctions policy and receives enough weapons and money. Believe that even under such conditions Ukraine is not capable of winning – 15%. The remaining 9% could not decide on their opinion,” the poll revealed.

KIIS noted that a similar question was posed to respondents in December 2023 and September 2024, but at that time it referred not to victory but to achieving success. In September 2024, 81% believed that Ukraine was capable of achieving success, while 14% thought it was impossible even with the relevant Western support. Sociologists stated that this indicates that over the past year there has been no significant decline in belief in the possibility of victory with proper Western support.

While an overwhelming majority of Ukrainians remain committed to resisting Russia’s invasion and reject Moscow’s latest peace proposals, as many respondents recognize that the war is unlikely to end soon, according to the survey.

Moscow’s latest plan, which includes the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas and recognition of Russian control over occupied territories, was rejected outright by 75% of respondents. Just 17% said they would accept such terms, even with reservations. 65% said implementing such a deal would mark a failure for Ukraine, and 69% feared it would encourage Russia to attack again.

By contrast, 74% of Ukrainians said they would support – albeit reluctantly – a settlement that freezes the conflict along the current front line without legal recognition of territorial losses, if it came with security guarantees for Ukraine. Only 30% would view such an arrangement as a success, while 44% saw it as a mixed outcome. A majority, 56%, still expected Russia to resume hostilities in the future even under that scenario. Indeed, this has been our belief as well – as long as the Russian imperial mentality persists, future Russian leaders will again attempt to re-subjugate Ukraine.

The survey highlighted strong willingness among Ukrainians to continue resisting. KIIS reported that 54% of adults not currently serving in the military were ready to join the Defense Forces if needed, including 63% of men and 46% of women. While 23% declared themselves “definitely ready,” another 31% said they were “rather ready.” Roughly 38% said they were not prepared to take up arms.

The findings suggest that while Ukrainians are open to pragmatic compromises, most remain wary of Moscow’s intentions and pessimistic about the prospects for a swift resolution.

Hungary, a member of the EU, has consistently opposed Kyiv’s accelerated accession to the bloc, arguing it would damage Europe’s economy and risk direct conflict with Russia. Ukrainian leaders, meanwhile, have insisted that EU membership and continued Western military assistance are essential to withstand Russian aggression and prevent further escalation.

Public opinion strongly favors maintaining ties with Western partners: 76% of respondents said Ukraine should continue resisting even if US aid were cut, relying instead on support from European allies. That figure has dipped slightly since March 2025, when it stood at 82%, but remains high.

KIIS noted that war conditions make polling difficult, and while the margin of error for the survey is formally around 4.1%, systematic deviations cannot be excluded. For specific questions on peace plan scenarios, the margin of error was estimated at no more than 5.8%.

Despite the strain of a conflict now in its fourth year, Ukrainians appear to retain both resilience and skepticism. The survey indicates broad rejection of concessions that would undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, coupled with cautious backing for temporary freezes if tied to credible guarantees.

“Ukrainians remain determined to fight for their independence, even as they face tough choices about the future,” KIIS concluded.

The White House and Capitol Hill should take these percentages into consideration before criticizing Zelenskyy and his team for their so-called stubbornness. Nobody wants the war to end more than the President of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine. Nobody wants Ukrainians to defeat Russians more than Ukrainians around the world. Listen to them.

Ukrainian & Polish American Groups Denounce Russian Provocation of Poland

Two major American civic organizations, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) and the Polish American Congress (PAC), have denounced Russia’s violation of Warsaw’s sovereign airspace and endangering of NATO’s eastern flank.

On Tuesday night New York time, September 9, several Russian drones that were targeted to hit Ukraine, crossed into Polish airspace, raising fears of Moscow’s expansion of its invasion of Ukraine. It has been commonly expected that Russia would enlarge its war zone to include the former captive nations of Eastern Europe.

Poland confirmed that a number of Russian drones entered its airspace during an attack on Ukraine early Wednesday local times and were shot down with the help of NATO allies, a first since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Leaders across Europe condemned the incident as the latest sign of escalation from the Kremlin, which has rebuffed President Donald Trump’s bid to broker peace talks.

Russia denied as always, the accusations “groundless" and said it did not plan to attack any targets in Poland.

However, Poland’s foreign minister says Poland and NATO believe the country was “deliberately targeted” by Russia.

In a video from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski noted: “The assessment of Polish and Nato air forces is, they did not veer off course, but were deliberately targeted.”

He added that, with NATO’s help, some drones were shot down. Properties were damaged, but nobody was injured.

President Donald Trump has weighed in on the situation, posting on his social media platform Truth Social. In a short statement, he quipped: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!”

Following is the statement issued by the UCCA and the PAC.

The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) and the Polish American Congress (PAC) strongly condemn russia’s most recent act of aggression, which violated Poland’s sovereign airspace and endangered NATO’s eastern flank.

On September 9th, Poland, with the support of NATO allies, was compelled to shoot down russian drones that entered its territory during a massive aerial assault on Ukraine—the largest of its kind since the full-scale invasion began. This marked the first time that a NATO member has been forced to take direct military action against russian aggression during its genocidal war against Ukraine.

Despite moscow’s denials, Poland confirmed that 19 objects breached its airspace, and it acted decisively to neutralize those posing threats to its citizens. This grave provocation triggered Article Four of NATO’s treaty, underscoring the seriousness of russia’s escalating aggressiveness.

This large-scale provocation underscores the grave danger of Russia’s escalating recklessness, which not only threatens Ukraine but deliberately tests NATO’s resolve. Such behavior is unacceptable and must be met with unity, strength, and decisive action. 

As representatives of the Ukrainian and Polish American communities, UCCA and PAC reaffirm our shared commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, to Poland’s security, and to the defense of democratic values. Our advocacy in the past underscored that any hesitation only emboldens the kremlin.  Thus, we call upon the United States government and our NATO allies to:

• Tighten and expand sanctions, including secondary sanctions, to strangle russia’s war machine;

• Accelerate and increase support for Ukraine with urgent military, economic, and humanitarian assistance it needs to win;

• Strengthen NATO’s eastern flank to ensure the safety and security of all alliance members.

russia’s escalating attacks not only threaten Ukraine, but are a direct challenge to NATO, a blatant assault on international law, and a grave threat to global security. A just and lasting peace can only be achieved by ensuring Ukraine’s total victory and holding russia fully accountable for its crimes.

Together, we stand united—in defense of freedom, democracy, and peace.

www.ucca.org • www.pac1944.org

Didn’t Trump Get the Email about Putin’s Imperial Aspirations?

It seems as if the entire free world is aware of the global danger posed by Russia and Putin.

Leaders of old Europe are conscious of this and have been preparing to stop Russia’s encroachment on its territory if necessary.

Leaders of the former captive nations, who know the meaning of Russian subjugation, are also concerned by Moscow’s threats, its bombardment of Ukrainian cities and towns, and killings of innocent civilians. They are taking steps to protect their homelands from Russian invaders such as increasing its military budgets and building a new Maginot Line.

It seems that the only national leader who’s not concerned is President Donald J. Trump of the United States. To be truthful, he has expressed his displeasure and concern at Putin’s bombardment of Ukraine and frustration at the Russian dictator’s murderous behavior and refusal to stop the war he began in February 2022. But is that all that the White House capable of doing? Whining?

The latest alarms were sounded by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He warned Monday, September 8, that Putin’s “imperialist plan wouldn’t end with the conquest of Ukraine but would rather be just the start.”

Merz told a conference of Germany’s ambassadors that “we are experiencing daily and with increasing intensity hybrid Russian attacks, including on our infrastructure” and pointed to Moscow’s “provocations in the North and Baltic Seas.”

Germany has been Ukraine’s second-biggest supplier of military aid since Russia invaded Ukraine and has been on high alert for sabotage plots directed from Moscow.

Merz has moved to ramp up Germany’s defense capacities in the face of Trump’s questioning of the future strength of the transatlantic alliance and wants Germany to have Europe’s strongest conventional army.

“We have historic tasks, namely building a new security architecture which should last for several decades to come,” Merz said. “What we referred to as the liberal world order is under pressure from many sides, including within the political West,” he added.

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer also issued a stark warning to Trump about his approach regarding Putin. Starmer said the Russian dictator “could not be trusted” over attempts to end the war in Ukraine.

Starmer told a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing countries backing Ukraine that “Putin could not be trusted as he continued to delay peace talks and simultaneously carry out egregious attacks on Ukraine”.

“That was further underlined by the indiscriminate attacks in Kyiv last week, causing significant damage to the British Council and EU delegation buildings,” he added.

Even in the wake of the latest Russian bombardment that damaged a government building in Kyiv and the stalled peace process, Trump remains confident that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine in its war is reachable.

Trump addressed the state of the peace talks on Sunday night, stressing to reporters that “We’re going to get it done.”

“The Russia-Ukraine situation — we're going to get it done. I have confidence we’re going to get it done," the President said, pointing to the peace deals he has brokered throughout his second term thus far.

“Think of it, I got seven done, all of which were impossible to do,” Trump said, before adding that he thought a deal in the Ukraine war would be the “easiest” to reach.

Sadly, every Trump utterance about the war demonstrates that he knows very little about the issues and Russia’s unquenchable desire to subjugate Ukraine.

Where will the next invasion begin? The Baltic States have been frequently mentioned as a possible starting point for a Russian invasion of NATO territory. There are fears that a future peace agreement in the war with Ukraine, which could allow Russia to maintain control over occupied eastern Ukraine, would embolden Putin’s forces and lead to an advance on former members of the Soviet Union, reported The Mirror in Britain.

Analysts believe the Baltic States are most vulnerable, with Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia providing Russia with greater sea access and thus potentially posing a risk to the Nordic countries, Poland, and Germany.

Russian forces struck Ukraine with its largest air attack since the war began on Sunday, September 7, launching a mass of drones, decoys and missiles.

Ukraine’s Air Force said 810 drones and decoys were used in the strike, including at least 13 missiles. Ukrainian forces intercepted 747 of the drones and four of the missiles.

At least two people were killed and 20 people injured in Kyiv. Total casualty reports are not yet available.

Hits from nine missiles and 54 drones were recorded at 33 locations across Ukraine, and the debris of shot down targets fell at eight locations, the Air Force said.

The government facility that was struck in the attack was the Cabinet of Ministers building. 

The building is the home of Ukraine’s Cabinet, housing the offices of its ministers. Police blocked access to the building as fire trucks and ambulances arrived.

“For the first time, the government building was damaged by an enemy attack, including the roof and upper floors,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in a statement. “We will restore the buildings, but lost lives cannot be returned. The world must respond to this destruction not only with words, but with actions. There is a need to strengthen sanctions pressure — primarily against Russian oil and gas.”

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said in a statement Sunday that the strike on the cabinet building was part of a sweeping attack on cities across the country, including Sumy, Kremenchuk, Odesa, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia.

Russia used more than 800 drones, as well as four ballistic missiles and nine cruise missiles in the attack, making it the largest such strike since the war began, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in its own statement.

At least four people were killed in the broader airstrike, Zelenskyy said in an earlier statement. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that at least one of the people killed was a child.

“In Kyiv, the rubble is still being cleared – there may still be bodies beneath it. The Cabinet of Ministers building has been damaged. As of now, more than forty people have been reported injured across the country, 20 of them in Kyiv,” Zelenskyy said, demanding that the West responds to this attack in the strongest way possible.

By the way, the latest Trump threat against Russia has come and gone on September 5, 2025, without any consequences.

Victory over Russian Invaders of Ukraine Isn’t a Naïve Wish

Ukraine, just a week after its 34th independence anniversary, is a virtual ping-pong ball between its ardent and tepid supporters on one side and its archenemy Russia on the other.

The former captive nations are solidly in Ukraine’s corner because they know well Russian aggression, subjugation and repression. Old Europe which includes the NATO member-states fears it could be Russia’s next victim so it is putting up a strong front, offering Ukraine weapons and political support. They favor Ukraine’s perseverance and even victory in the face of Moscow’s threats but without forcing a humiliating defeat on Russia. The coalition of the willing European countries is supplying Ukraine with a wide assortment of weapons and aircraft.

On the other side is Russia, which hasn’t changed its stripes for centuries. It still regards Ukraine as the Hope Diamond of its fallen empire and its return to the fold is Russia’s number one sacred goal. Russia is prepared to run its tanks and incompetent army across Ukraine up to the Polish border, subjugate the country and annihilate everyone who resists captivity.

And then there is the United States and President Donald Trump. Washington’s fluctuating policies of helping Ukraine or not, of brokering, negotiating or forcing a truce is confounding all parties. His flippant observations that Zelenskyy and Putin want to fight more do not help the cause of peace. Everyone on the European side of the table is hoping for a meeting of all three elements. Trump believes Putin wants peace and is hopeful that a meeting will be held with all sides concerned but Putin is balking.

Ukraine is also eager to sit down and talk. Zelenskyy is very well aware of the human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine with its daily bombardments and killings.

Putin launched his war against Ukrainians searching for Nazis, but he and his blundering, pathetic pack of cutthroats found a united nation of Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian speakers from east to west, of Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, Protestant and Moslem Ukrainians, of professionals and farmers, of senior citizens and youth all committed to fight once more for the independence of their nation and country. He didn’t find Nazis. Today even Putin has abandoned that farcical quest and admitted that he simply wants Ukrainian land if he’s to agree to peace. Imagine a criminal, a war criminal making demands of his victim. Ukraine’s neighbors are rightfully scared that if Ukraine and the free world succumb to Putin’s demands, they will be the next dominoes to fall victim to Russian aggression.

However, negotiating a truce or ceasefire will result in at best a fragile peace. It is a foregone conclusion among Ukrainians and East Europeans that one day, like a phoenix, a temporarily quelled Russia will again wage war of conquest against Ukraine.

Trump has declared his opposition to defeating Russia in hopes of a peaceful stalemate between Ukraine and Russia. On the other hand, he insists that Ukraine must surrender parts of Ukrainian lands to Moscow in order to satiate its aggressive appetite. As for Crimea and Donbas, temporarily Russian occupied regions of Ukraine, Trump has categorically said Ukraine can forget about them. The American president as well as the Washington GOP establishment would rather see Ukraine go away quietly.

Ukraine is caught in the middle. Fortunately, the nation, government and President Zelenskyy, and military are united in their understanding of the mission. For them, victory over Russia is not a naïve wish. It is an achievable goal.

At a recent gathering of senior Ukrainian government officials and Ukrainian American civic leaders at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City, this point – victory – was enunciated.

Present were Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President, Minister of the Economy and Agriculture Oleksiy Sobolev, Ambassador Extraordinary Sergy Kyslytsya, and Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova.

In a brief overview of the issues at hand, Yermak, who is regarded as the most powerful official in Kyiv, unabashedly used the word “victory” in a sentence. I decided to pursue this in the Q&A and asked him to confirm that Ukraine’s victory over Russia is possible and it’s not a naïve wish of Ukrainians in Ukraine and around the world.

Yermak said, yes, and elaborated that all of Ukraine, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is committed to that real end.

While the current global political climate is awaiting trilateral meetings, truces and ceasefires, for Ukraine they are merely steppingstones to victory and expelling Russian invaders from Ukraine. This will not be an immediate achievement, he continued, but rather it will be fulfilled over time.

Ukraine has the political and battlefield will and skills, weapons and unified national vision to realize this, he said. Furthermore, Zelenskyy is tenacious and unwavering in leading the nation to this objective.

Ukraine will also return to the native land all POWs, the bodies of the KIAs, and all stolen children will be returned to their heart-broken parents, he assured.

Yermak said Ukraine will even return to its national domain Crimea and Donbas, which emphatically clarifies Kyiv’s position against surrendering Ukrainian territory to the criminal aggressor. This will not happen overnight but rather it will be achieved in time.

Yermak’s message is encouraging for all Ukrainians everywhere. Ukrainian Americans can take this message of victory to President Trump, their elected representatives and the entire Washington establishment.

This message should be contrasted with the declarations emanating from the White House and The Kremlin. The latter certainly doesn’t want peace but rather it wants all of Ukraine and its citizens from the Caucasus to the Carpathians – nothing less. For the sake of his Nobel Peace Prize, Trump won’t stand in Moscow’s way.

Russian leaders say this regularly and Putin substantiates this. Sadly, Trump dangerously belittles or disregards this Russian assertion which resembles Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.”

High-ranking Russian officials, Putin and former President Dmitry Medvedev, have publicly denied Ukrainian statehood and promoted the military’s goal of inflicting “maximum defeat.” This has been interpreted as incitement to genocide. 

in a June 2025 speech, Putin declared, “All of Ukraine is ours,” a statement that was widely interpreted as an affirmation of Russia’s imperialist and expansionist ambitions.

Russia’s top military leadership has announced that its campaign of large-scale strikes against Ukraine will continue into the coming months irrespective of negotiations, with offensive operations set to remain the central focus, Army General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff and commander of Russia’s joint forces in Ukraine, stated on August 30. “The execution of tasks by the Joint Grouping of Forces will continue by conducting offensive operations. Today we will clarify the tasks for the groupings of troops on the directions for the autumn period,” he said. 

The Russian Orthodox Church in March 2024 approved a document that called the invasion of Ukraine a “Holy War” aimed at extinguishing Ukrainian independence and imposing direct Russian rule. Patriarch Kirill has provided ideological justification for the war, framing it as a confrontation with a “decadent West” and claiming that dying in Ukraine “washes away” all sins. He also exonerates all Russians of the sin of murder when they kill Ukrainians.

Fortunately, while this is being played out, European defense ministers pledged Friday to ramp up support for Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia, a day after a Russian air assault on Kyiv killed 23 people and badly damaged a European diplomatic compound.

Outrage over the attack propelled Europe’s leaders to condemn Russia even before Friday’s meeting and call for tougher measures on Moscow like seizing frozen assets, further sanctions and increasing support for Ukraine’s military and membership in the European Union.

“Everybody understands that, considering how Putin is mocking the peace efforts, the only thing that works is pressure,” said Kaja Kallas, foreign policy chief for the European Union.

They also discussed European troops’ deployment in Ukraine to guarantee security and monitor a peace that seems distant as peace Russia appears to have stalled the efforts.

With the West at least, Ukraine is walking on a thin tightrope. Kyiv can’t outrightly snub Washington or else Trump will stop all political and military aid. But at least Ukraine has announced its national target for the world to know.

Russia Kills 19 Adults & 4 Children in Latest Bombing of Kyiv

Be careful of Russia. Its leaders Putin and Lavrov will look in the face, smile, perhaps greet you, shake hands and then kill you with their free hand.

Russian dishonesty and treachery are of extraordinary proportions.

It has happened time and again. It has happened throughout history. It is happening today. It has happened during the infamous ambush in the Oval Office earlier this year, during the Alaska summit earlier this month, at the subsequent White House meeting, and since then. It is almost a daily – or rather nightly occurrence.

It happened last night. The Russians won’t stop bombing and killing Ukrainians until Moscow has captured all of Ukraine and subjugated or killed all Ukrainians regardless of negotiations, the status of relations between President Trump and Putin, irrespective of the number of dead Russian cutthroats, or the number of killed Ukrainian men, women and children.

Last night during the second largest aerial bombardment of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, the Russians killed 19 adults and four children the youngest being 2 years old.

Buildings belonging to the European Union and the British Council were damaged in the strikes, prompting both the EU and the United Kingdom to summon the top Russian diplomats in their capitals for a talking down.

Ukraine’s Air Force said that the Kremlin unleashed 629 air attack weapons on the country overnight, comprising 598 drones and 31 missiles.

Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for the air force, told CNN that the strikes comprised “one of the largest combined attacks” on the country.

Russia’s defense ministry cheered as it claimed it struck “military-industrial complex enterprises and military air bases in Ukraine” using “high-precision weapons.” However, it lied again. The targets weren’t military-industrial complex enterprises and military air bases or energy facilities, but rather people’s homes.

Kremlin spokesperson-chief liar Dmitry Peskov facetiously said in the aftermath of the death and carnage that Moscow is still interested in peace talks, but emphasized that the “special military operation,” Russia’s way of describing the war, “continues.” Regardless of how you state it – war, special military operation, conflict – deaths, bloodshed and destruction won’t end so long as Putin and Lavrov are leading Russia to continue this inhuman bloodbath.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the assault a “horrific and deliberate killing of civilians” in a post on X.

“These Russian missiles and attack drones today are a clear response to everyone in the world who, for weeks and months, has been calling for a ceasefire and for real diplomacy,” he said in an earlier post.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that she was “outraged” by the incident, calling it “another grim reminder of what is at stake.”

“It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorize Ukraine, blindly killing civilians, men, women and children, and even targeting the European Union,” she said.

The EU chief spoke to both Zelensky and US President Donald Trump following the strikes, von der Leyen added in a post on X, also stating that Putin “must come to the negotiating table.”

Honestly, the negotiating table is a waste of time when there is no desire to participate in it or fulfill its outcome. Zelenskyy has said repeatedly let’s negotiate, Trump offered to participate but Putin and Lavrov have not agreed.

And what’s to discuss? Russia and Ukraine aren’t equal aggressors, hoping to end the war through negotiations. Russia invaded Ukraine and every country and person knows it is guilty. So, what’s to negotiate? How much booty the free world should permit the criminal to take so it stops the war and evacuates?

The European bloc is summoning the Russian envoy in Brussels in response to the attack, the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said. “While the world seeks a path to peace, Russia responds with missiles,” said  Kallas. “The overnight attack on Kyiv shows a deliberate choice to escalate and mock the peace efforts.”

Trump is “not happy” but “not surprised” by the strikes, the White House said Thursday, adding that he was watching the developments “intently.” If Trump wasn’t surprised, as he said, then he must have anticipated it. Did he warn Zelenskyy of an imminent attack?

Trump, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, wants the war to end, but both Putin and Zelensky “must want it to end as well.” That is the wrong approach. That assigns equal culpability to both sides and thus strengthens Russia’s obstinacy and resolve not to budge. 

Afterall, Moscow has access to millions of Russian and non-Russian disenfranchised citizens who will be caught like stray city dogs and dragged to the front.

As of Thursday night, the White House hadn’t issued a formal condemnation of Russia’s bloody actions.

The Spanish foreign ministry said on Thursday it had summoned the Russian embassy’s charge d’affaires in protest of the “unacceptable attack.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of targeting diplomats “in direct breach of the Vienna convention” and called for “worldwide condemnation” in a statement on X.

The White House’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, also condemned the overnight strikes, writing on X that “these egregious attacks threaten the peace that (Trump) is pursuing.”

Russia has increased the frequency and intensity of aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities since the start of 2025. On July 29, Russia launched its deadliest attack against Kyiv this year, killing 32 civilians in a massive, combined strike.

Most Americans support expanding sanctions to Russia’s trading partners to pressure Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on August 27. The three-day survey, which concluded on Aug. 24, found that 62% of respondents favored sanctions against countries that continue to trade with Russia. The results indicate bipartisan support for a more aggressive economic strategy against Moscow.

Among supporters of Trump from the Republican Party, 76% backed sanctions against Russia’s trading partners, while Democrats shared this position at 58%. The survey covered 1,022 American adults nationwide with a margin of error of 3% points. Despite international sanctions, Russia has maintained trade relationships with several nations.

In retaliation, Ukrainian strikes on 10 Russian oil refineries have disrupted at least 17% of its refining capacity, equivalent to 1.1 million barrels per day, Reuters reported on August. 25, citing its own calculations.

Kyiv has targeted dozens of refineries, oil depots, and military-industrial sites since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 to disrupt Moscow’s war effort. Winter drone attacks forced at least four Russian refineries to temporarily shut down. The attacks have disrupted Russia’s ability to process and export oil and created gasoline shortages in some Russian regions, as well as in occupied Crimea.

The massive, early morning Russian attack on Ukraine also damaged the offices of at least three news outlets. In Kyiv, the offices of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and independent news outlet Ukrainska Pravda were damaged in a drone and missile attack. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, in eastern Ukraine, a drone strike damaged the office of local newspaper Mezhivsky Merydian.

No media workers or journalists were injured in the attacks.

“Today’s devastating Russian attack on Ukraine, which damaged at least three media offices, is a stark reminder of the risks journalists face working and living in the country,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “The strikes show that journalists’ safety remains a major concern, regardless of how far they are from the front lines. We strongly condemn these attacks and call on Russia to immediately stop attacking civilian infrastructure.”