Ukraine war briefing: Trump ‘growing incredibly impatient’ with Russia over war, warns Vance

US vice-president JD Vance has warned that Donald Trump is “growing incredibly impatient” with Moscow amid stalled efforts to resolve the Ukraine war. Trump “doesn’t feel like they’re putting enough on the table to end the war”, Vance said in North Carolina. “If the Russians refuse to negotiate in good faith, I think it’s going to be very, very bad for their country. That’s what the president made clear.” In a meeting earlier on Wednesday in New York, US secretary of state Marco Rubio apparently clashed with his Russian counterpart, calling for the “killing to stop” and demanding Moscow “take meaningful steps toward a durable resolution”.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov fired back and “stressed the unacceptability of the schemes promoted by Kyiv and some European capitals aimed at prolonging the conflict”, according to a readout of their conversation supplied by the Russian side. Trump unexpectedly suggested at the UN on Tuesday after meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine could not only retake all of the territory it lost to Russia militarily since the 2022 Russian invasion but take even more.

The Ukrainian president praised Trump following the surprise pivot but cautioned that Nato alone could not underwrite his country’s security. “Because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues,” Zelenskyy told the general assembly. “Even being part of the longstanding military alliance doesn’t automatically mean you are safe.” He said he had a “good meeting” with Trump. “Of course we are doing everything to make sure Europe truly helps and of course we count on the United States.”

Zelenskyy appealed to global leaders to intervene to prevent Russia from leading the world through “the most destructive arms race in human history”, warning that the combination of drone technology and artificial intelligence would end in catastrophe, report Patrick Wintour, Oliver Holmes, Pjotr Sauer and Jennifer Rankin. Speaking to the UN general assembly on Wednesday, the Ukrainian president tried to galvanise not just the west but also China. His chilling account of how Russia is using technology to change the face of war was the opposite of Trump’s claim that Russia’s military may only be a paper tiger. Zelenskyy warned that Russian president Vladimir Putin, if unchecked, would use drones to expand his war throughout Europe. “Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead,” he said.

Russia said it would press on with its military offensive in Ukraine and rejected Trump’s claim that Kyiv’s army could retake territory seized by Russia. The Kremlin also pushed back at Trump’s characterisation of Russia as a “paper tiger”. “The idea that Ukraine can recapture something is, from our point of view, mistaken,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He bristled at the accusation Russia was weak, saying it was a “real bear”, while conceding Russia’s economy was “experiencing tensions and problems”.

Ukraine and Syria formally restored diplomatic relations as their leaders met on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, Zelenskyy said. Ukraine broke off relations with Syria in 2022 after ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s government recognised the independence of swathes of occupied Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine has worked to engage with Syrian authorities since the December 2024 toppling of Assad, a staunch Russian ally. “We are pleased with this important step and are ready to support the Syrian people on their path to stability,” Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, while Syria’s leadership said it hoped for close relations with Kyiv.