CIA director John Ratcliffe has held talks with Poland’s special services minister Tomasz Siemoniak as concerns grow over Russia’s threat to Nato.Mr Siemoniak said he had a “very important meeting” with Mr Ratcliffe, after which he shared the “most crucial information regarding Poland’s security” with prime minister Donald Tusk. “The Polish-American alliance is strong and unshakable,” he added in the post on X. “Close cooperation between our special services is one of its foundations.”It came as the US renews its diplomatic effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, which has brought Poland into the foray with an intensifying series of Russian drone and fighter jet incursions across eastern Europe over the past two years. As part of a push to find a peace agreement, Donald Trump held a one-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin in which he reiterated his plea that he wants a “swift end to the war in Ukraine”, the Kremlin said. Meanwhile, Kyiv’s defence minister announced that Ukraine is on track to procure a supply of around 1,000 missiles for US-designed Patriot air-defence systems with the help of allies and through a European ⁠Union loan.Alex Croft9 September 2026 10:56EU court dismisses Hungary action over frozen Russian asset profits for UkraineA Hungarian action against the EU's decision to use windfall profits from frozen Russian central bank assets for Ukraine's defence has been dismissed by the European Union’s General Court on Wednesday. The bloc's second-highest court said it had no jurisdiction over the matter.On 3 August, the EU received €1.4 billion in windfall profits from Russian bank assets, bringin the total revenue to roughly €8 billion.Alex Croft9 September 2026 10:34US wants swift end to war in Ukraine, Trump tells Putin - ICYMIDonald Trump has reiterated his plea to Russian president Vladimir Putin that he wants a “swift end to the war in Ukraine”, the Kremlin said, as the two spoke for an hour on a phone call yesterday.Ending the war in Ukraine will allow the US to fully restore its ties with Russia, the Kremlin said, adding that Putin agreed with Trump’s view."Donald Trump clearly emphasised the desirability of bringing the conflict to an end as soon as possible, which would immediately open up prospects – impressive and far-reaching ones at that – for the full restoration of relations between the US and Russia," said Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov.Ushakov told reporters that the two leaders had rated the US envoys' weekend diplomacy "with a plus sign" and that Putin had told Trump what he believed the United States could do to help end the conflict and given him an assessment of what the situation on the battlefield was. Trump, Ushakov said, had made it clear he wanted the war quickly finished.Trump wants a “breakthrough achieved during his presidency” on the war in Ukraine, Ushakov said.(Reuters)Alex Croft9 September 2026 10:31German foreign minister says Kyiv should buy more arms from German companiesGerman foreign minister Johann Wadephul told Bild newspaper that Ukraine should buy more weapons from German companies, saying Berlin's position as Kyiv's biggest donor meant it had the right to expect orders for its defence companies.Wadephul said he had assured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit last month that Germany would continue to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia."But I also have to explain this to German taxpayers, and the very least you can do is to ensure that the German defence industry is involved in all procurement activities," the newspaper quoted him as saying.“At the moment, we're not entirely ​satisfied ⁠with the level of orders ‌we're receiving in Germany,” he said.Wadephul's comments came days after Germany accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in August that authorities said only just missed causing a major disaster.Alex Croft9 September 2026 09:40Moscow says Ukrainian cargo vessel in Black Sea struckThe Russian defence ministry has said its forces had struck a Ukrainian cargo vessel carrying military equipment in the Black Sea en route to the port of Odesa, Russian news agencies are reporting. A warehouse in Kyiv, belonging to a company manufacturing drones, was also hit, they added. Alex Croft9 September 2026 09:16Deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv fail to cancel Ukrainian soldier’s weddingLiudmyla Ryzhak spent the eve of her wedding ironing her delicately embroidered dress, laying out a full white tulle skirt beside her husband’s traditionally patterned shirt, before hanging them on the bedroom door.Following repeated delays caused by the war with Russia, she was only hours away from marrying her partner, a Ukrainian soldier, in a ceremony in the capital scheduled for Tuesday morning.However, as the pair slept, a Russian strike struck a warehouse across the street from their building. The resulting blast wave ripped through the apartment, threatening to stop the wedding.The couple were soon digging their wedding clothes out of the rubble, with Ryzhak pulling her skirt from beneath the debris and shaking off pieces of broken glass.Read more here:Alex Croft9 September 2026 08:54Ukraine strikes Russian warships in Black Sea port of NovorossiyskWe’re getting more information on Ukraine’s air attack on the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.Kyiv’s forces struck military vessels at a naval base in the port overnight, the commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi, said on Wednesday.Brovdi said missile carriers were among the vessels "lost" at the base, but did not say how many vessels had been struck.We earlier reported that four people, including one child, have been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Novorossiysk, the local governor has said.Alex Croft9 September 2026 08:31CIA director holds talks with Poland amid Russia's growing Nato threatCIA director John Ratcliffe has held talks with Poland’s special services minister Tomasz Siemoniak amid growing concerns over Russia’s threat to Nato.Mr Siemoniak said he had a “very important meeting” with Mr Ratcliffe, without going into detail about what was discussed. After the meeting, he said he shared the “most crucial information regarding Poland’s security” with prime minister Donald Tusk. “The Polish-American alliance is strong and unshakable,” he added in the post on X. “Close cooperation between our special services is one of its foundations.”The talks come amid Washington’s fresh diplomatic push to find a peace agreement to end the Ukraine war - which Poland has been directly impacted by with an intensifying series of Russian drone and fighter jet incursions across eastern Europe over the past two years. CIA director John Ratcliffe (Reuters)Alex Croft9 September 2026 08:10Alex Croft9 September 2026 07:51Child among four killed in Ukrainian drone attack on NovorossiyskFour people, including one child, have been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Novorossiysk, the local governor has said. Another 29 were injured, southern Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev has said on Telegram.We’re working to bring you more. Alex Croft9 September 2026 07:35