Our live coverage of Russia's war in Ukraine has moved here.
September 21, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news
By Tara Subramaniam, Sophie Tanno, Aditi Sangal, Elise Hammond, Maureen Chowdhury and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 12:01 a.m. ET, September 22, 2023
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Canada vows to stand with Ukraine "for as long as it takes," prime minister says
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country "will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes" in a statement released by his office Thursday night.
The comments come ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Canada scheduled for September 21 and 22.
"The two leaders will continue to work closely together to strengthen ties between our countries and help ensure the Ukrainian people can continue to defend themselves against Russia's brutal and unjustifiable invasion," the statement read.
Trudeau will meet with Zelensky in Ottawa "to reiterate Canada's ongoing military, economic, humanitarian, and development support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia's brutal war of aggression," the statement read.
Both leaders will participate in a signing ceremony "to continue strengthening economic ties."
Zelensky will also deliver an address to Parliament, according to the statement.
"In close coordination, we will apply more economic pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's regime until it respects Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, including in sectors that are strategically important for Russia, such as oil and gas," the statement read.
Since January 2022, Canada "has committed more than $8.9 billion in multifaceted support to Ukraine, including $4.95 billion in direct financial support and over $1.8 billion in military aid ranging from Leopard 2 tanks and air defence and artillery systems to armoured vehicles, ammunition, and more," the Canadian Prime Minister's office said.
"Budget 2023 extended a $2.4 billion loan to the Government of Ukraine for this year, to support Ukraine's budgetary needs," his office added.
Every cent of American investment in Ukraine's security is working, Zelensky says
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
Every cent of US investment in Ukraine’s security and "global protection of freedom" is working, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address in front of the National Archives Thursday night.
The Ukrainian leader also said American aid has demoralized Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“Putin is forced to humiliate himself by personally entertaining a delegation from Pyongyang and trying to (get) favor with Tehran. This shows his obvious weakness,” Zelensky said.
He also said he was thankful for “Americans who have done and are doing extraordinary things at the call of their hearts,” referring primarily to the American doctors who have helped thousands of Ukrainian children and adults affected by the war.
“American hearts beat the same way as Ukrainian hearts. I want you all to know that America has saved millions of Ukrainian lives,” Zelensky said.
While at the National Archives, Zelensky said he viewed a telegram from former President Abraham Lincoln to which he told Gen. Ulysses Grant to “hold on like a bulldog.” Zelensky likened the phrase to the disposition of Ukrainian fighters.
“Every day of this war, Ukrainian soldiers hold on with a bulldog grip," he said. "They bite and strangle the Russian invaders as much as possible. Never before has the Russian dictatorship met such strong resistance."
Zelensky was joined in front of the archives by his wife, first lady Olena Zelenska, who also addressed the crowd. During his trip to the United States, the Ukrainian leader spoke at the UN General Assembly and met with a number of high-profile leaders, including President Joe Biden.
Kirby says administration has seen "resounding support" for aid to Ukraine from Congress
From CNN's Donald Judd
White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told CNN Thursday the administration has seen “resounding support" for aid to Ukraine from Congress, "particularly at the leadership level."
Kirby acknowledged that “a growing number of voices, particularly in the House Republicans, of people that are disputing whether or not Ukraine is worth the effort." But he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in an interview that those detractors “don’t represent their leadership — they don’t even represent the majority of their party, so we’re going to keep at it.”
On the president’s meeting today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kirby said Biden “was very grateful to get a battlefield update,” from his Ukrainian counterpart.
And he pushed back against concerns that today’s newly announced $325 million doesn’t include Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), as Ukraine has previously requested.
“I would just tell you that we continue to talk to the Ukrainians — we have and we will — about what they need on the battlefield, and you heard yourself President Zelensky saying that this package that the President announced today is exactly what his forces need,” Kirby said. “We're not going to take anything for granted, we're going to continue to talk to him about that going forward.”
Analysis: The political divide on Ukraine and how Republicans have grown more skeptical of providing aid
From CNN's Harry Enten
Democrats welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Thursday, while Republicans were far more split.
The divide between the two parties is not surprising given the polling data on Zelensky specifically and Russia's war in Ukraine more broadly.
Republicans, it turns out, have become far more dovish on that conflict and in how they view the United States' role in the world more generally.
It may be hard to imagine now but Zelensky was once admired on both sides of the political aisle. At the beginning of the war, Zelensky sported a 77% favorability rating among Democrats and a 61% favorability rating among Republicans, according to a March 2022 Quinnipiac University poll. Just 6% of Republicans and 2% of Democrats viewed him unfavorably.
Since then, however, the tone from Republican leaders has soured. Whether these officials are guiding their voters or merely following them, the poll numbers have shifted significantly.
A July 2023 Gallup poll found that Zelensky's favorability rating with Republicans had declined to 51%. His unfavorable rating, meanwhile, had skyrocketed to 41%. This meant his net favorability with Republicans went from +55 points to +10 points in a little over a year.
Democratic leaders have been far more supportive of the Ukrainian leader, which could be why their voters have largely stayed that way too. Zelensky's favorability rating among Democrats was 75% in July, according to the Gallup poll — similar to the 77% in 2022, per Quinnipiac. While his unfavorable rating had ticked up, it still remained low at 11%.
The views toward Zelensky are emblematic of how Americans feel about the US involvement in the Ukraine-Russia conflict as a whole.
Biden says he is "counting on the good judgment of the US Congress" for additional aid to Ukraine
From CNN's Donald Judd
US President Joe Biden announced a new tranche of aid for Ukraine in remarks from the White House Thursday, during a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He told Zelensky that as winter approaches, "the people of Ukraine are steeled against the trouble ahead, and the American people are going to continue to stay with you.”
Following his remarks, a reporter asked Zelensky if he’d received any assurances from Congress on funding for additional aid. Biden interjected, saying:
“I’m counting on the good judgment of the United States Congress — there’s no alternative," the US president said.
On the aid announced today, Biden detailed a litany of military support for Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia’s invasion.
“Today, I approved the next tranche of US security assistance to Ukraine, including more artillery, more ammunition, more anti-tank weapons, and next week, the first US Abrams tanks will be delivered to Ukraine,” Biden said in an expanded bilateral meeting with members of his Cabinet and the Ukrainian delegation. “We’re also focused on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, to protect the critical infrastructure that provides heat and light during the coldest and darkest days of the year.”
Biden also offered a blistering assessment of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he said mistakenly believed he would be able to crush support for Ukraine in a matter of months.
Biden went on to offer an optimistic assessment of American’s support for the country as it beats back Russian forces.
“Mr. President, the American people — Democrats, Republicans alike, families all across our nation, understand what Ukraine is fighting to defend — what generations of Americans have also stepped to protect and preserve,” Biden said. “It’s pretty basic: Freedom, liberty, and sovereignty.”
US announces new aid package for Ukraine amid Zelensky's visit to White House. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday announced $128 million in new US security assistance to Ukraine as well as $197 million in arms and equipment.
The announcement comes amid President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the White House, where he met with President Joe Biden.
During a meeting with Cabinet members, Biden reaffirmed the US commitment, along with its partners, to Ukraine.
"We're committed to build a force capable of assuring Ukraine's long-term security. Capable of deterring future threats against sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom — which are under way now. Because that's what this is all about. The future. The future of freedom. America can never, will never, walk away from that," Biden said. "That's why 575 days later we stand with Ukraine and we'll continue to stand with you, Mr. President."
Zelensky in turn thanked Biden and the American people for their support.
Here are the latest developments:
- Zelensky makes case to US for continued support of Ukraine: Ahead of his meeting with Biden, Zelensky made a visit to the US Capitol to speak with lawmakers. He said that if US money for the war dries up, it would have a cascading effect and eventually lead European countries to do the same. “You give money, we give lives,” he said in his message to senators, according to attendees. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy would not commit to putting Ukraine aid on the chamber's floor by end of the year despite what he described as a productive meeting with Zelensky, insisting instead domestic spending is a priority.
- Ukraine claims fresh progress on southern battlefront in Zaporizhzhia region: Ukrainian officials indicated further progress has been made on the southern front in the Zaporizhzhia region, with some units advancing "deep into the Russian defenses." Areas where progress was seen include Melitopol and Robotyne-Verbove.
- Poland halts arms supply to Ukraine: One of Ukraine’s closest and most vocal allies has now said it will stop sending arms to Kyiv, a major reversal that threatens to upend Europe’s strategic relationship with the country as it wages a counteroffensive against Russia. In a separate issue, Radek Sikorski, a leading Polish opposition figure, told CNN that Poland should have asked the European Union for help with the cost and upgrade of port and railroad facilities to organize a trade corridor for Ukraine grain.
- Several killed as a result of Russian strikes in Kherson: Since the beginning of the day Thursday, five people had been killed and 10 others injured, said Oleksandr Prokudin, head of Kherson Region Military Administration. The strikes in Kherson were part of a larger Russian attack across Ukraine.
Lithuania offers to facilitate dialogue "to resolve current tensions" between Poland and Ukraine
From CNN's Mariya Knight
Lithuania is offering to facilitate conversations between Poland and Ukraine after Warsaw, one of Ukraine’s closest and most vocal allies, has said it will stop sending arms to Kyiv.
Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda said his country could help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish President Andrzej Duda "resolve current tensions," he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Poland's decision is a major reversal that threatens to upend Europe’s strategic relationship with the country as it wages a counteroffensive against Russia.
“All issues can be solved through open dialogue. Lithuania is ready to facilitate,” Nauseda said in the post.
What happened: Poland’s decision to stop sending weapons to Ukraine came after months of strain over a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports to a number of European Union countries.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that it will now focus on supplying “the most modern weapons” for its own purposes, state news agency PAP reported.
In the spring, Poland became the first NATO country to send fighter jets to Ukraine — months ahead of the United States. It has also previously sent more than 200 Soviet-style tanks to Ukraine, and most Western military equipment and other supplies reach Ukrainian forces by crossing Polish territory.
CNN's Rob Picheta contributed reporting to this post.
Blinken announces new security assistance for Ukraine
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler and Oren Liebermann
The United States will give $128 million in new security assistance to Ukraine as well as $197 million in arms and equipment in previously authorized drawdowns, the secretary of state announced.
The package includes additional air defense munitions "to help strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses against aerial assaults from Russia now and in the coming winter when Russia is likely to renew its attacks against Ukrainian critical infrastructure,” Antony Blinken said Thursday.
“It also contains artillery ammunition and anti-armor capabilities, as well as cluster munitions, which will further enhance Ukraine’s capacity to continue its counter-offensive against Russia’s forces," he added.
This is the second time the US has provided the controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine, the Defense Department said. In late July, shortly after the US first provided cluster munitions, the White House said Ukrainian forces were using the weapons “effectively” and “appropriately” against Russian defensive positions.
The US will not be providing Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine, however, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, despite requests from Ukraine. He said while not providing it in this package, Biden is "not taking it off the table in the future.”
The announcement comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with President Joe Biden in Washington, DC.