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Morning opening: Zelenskyy to present Ukraine's case to UN leaders
Jakub Krupa
Ukraine is set to feature prominently on Day 2 of the UN general assembly in New York, with leaders first joining the UN security council meeting on Ukraine, before president Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes to the podium to deliver his address to the assembly.
It will be a key opportunity to rally international support behind Kyiv, bolstering Ukraine’s position ahead of any potential peace talks with Moscow.
Zelenskyy did not get a chance to say much during his last night’s meeting with US president Donald Trump.
“I hope we will end this war, and president Trump will help us end this war. We need to do it as quick as possible, before winter,” he said at the beginning of the meeting before Trump dominated the Q&A with reporters.
He later said on social media that the pair discussed ending “the senseless war” before winter, with “potential de-escalatory steps that can open up the way to diplomacy.”
He also said Ukraine was “ready for any kind of format of energy ceasefire” if Russia agrees to “not attack out energy system”
Before we get to Zelenskyy late afternoon, we will hear from some other European leaders from Latvia, Romania, Czech Republic, Estonia, and Cyprus. I will monitor their speeches for any key lines.
Lots to cover.
It’s Wednesday, 23 September 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
Macron's final UN speech condemns 'return to the law of the jungle' with focus on Ukraine, Gaza, West Bank
Catching up with what happened at UNGA last night, France’s president Emmanuel Macron delivered his last general assembly speech as he is firmly in the last year of his presidency.
And he did not hold back, warning against a global “return to the law of the jungle,” as he said “we cannot accept the new order of impunity that some would like to build.”
He warned that “in the Middle East, in Ukraine, in Africa, the industrialisation of war crimes, violations of the law, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure is ushering in a new age of barbarity.”
He assured leaders of France’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine, and urged leaders to “defend the Ukrainian people … more than ever before the coming winter.”
Separately, in what was seen as a swipe at Trump, Macron also said the world was witnessing a spectacle that should shame everyone, rebuking Trump’s portrayal of his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic triumph, Reuters reported.
“A year ago, here in this very hall, about a dozen states had recognised Palestine. I hear the cynicism of some people: ‘Recognition is just a piece of paper, look at the reality.’
What credibility do we have if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza? Some boast of a supposed peace. But that peace has not reopened humanitarian access for a single second. Are we simply to stand by and watch this spectacle that should shame us all?”
Macron also opted for tough language on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, saying:
“Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where every day violations are committed. In whose name? Hamas has never operated in the West Bank …
What is happening there is building, day by day, the impossibility of a project that should be based on respect for the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to exist.”
At least one dead, seven injured in Russian strikes on Kyiv this morning
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least one person died and seven were injured in this morning’s Russian attacks on Kyiv.
In a series of updates, he said Russian drones struck a business centre, a transport facility, and a “non-residential building,” among others.
Separately, Ukrainian oil company Ukrnafta said Russia hit one of its petrol stations in the capital, the sixth such facility attacked in recent weeks.
Smoke was seen rising in the centre of Ukrainian capital Kyiv after a Russian drone attack this morning, Reuters reported.
More on that when we have it.
Morning opening: Zelenskyy to present Ukraine's case to UN leaders
Jakub Krupa
Ukraine is set to feature prominently on Day 2 of the UN general assembly in New York, with leaders first joining the UN security council meeting on Ukraine, before president Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes to the podium to deliver his address to the assembly.
It will be a key opportunity to rally international support behind Kyiv, bolstering Ukraine’s position ahead of any potential peace talks with Moscow.
Zelenskyy did not get a chance to say much during his last night’s meeting with US president Donald Trump.
“I hope we will end this war, and president Trump will help us end this war. We need to do it as quick as possible, before winter,” he said at the beginning of the meeting before Trump dominated the Q&A with reporters.
He later said on social media that the pair discussed ending “the senseless war” before winter, with “potential de-escalatory steps that can open up the way to diplomacy.”
He also said Ukraine was “ready for any kind of format of energy ceasefire” if Russia agrees to “not attack out energy system”
Before we get to Zelenskyy late afternoon, we will hear from some other European leaders from Latvia, Romania, Czech Republic, Estonia, and Cyprus. I will monitor their speeches for any key lines.
Lots to cover.
It’s Wednesday, 23 September 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
