Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump’s team set to hold peace talks in Kyiv and Moscow, says Zelensky

Russian drones hit Coca-Cola plant outside Kyiv, says ZelenskyUS negotiators are expected to visit Kyiv and Moscow in the coming days as Washington seeks to revive efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky said.Zelensky said preliminary dates had been set for the meetings, although he did not provide further details.“It is very important. It is important that America continues to be active,” he said.Donald Trump said he wanted to see an end to the war and the losses suffered by both sides.“I just want to see that end. I think we'll get it,” Trump told GB News in an interview aired on Thursday.Trump also said European countries should repay the US for military aid and ammunition previously sent to Ukraine, while appearing to signal a temporary halt to some US weapons sales to allies. It came as Russian drones hit a Coca-Cola plant outside Kyiv on Thursday, Zelensky said. “Coca-Cola is such an enemy that they set it on fire with their Shaheds,” he said. “It's a clear Russian signal to America. The Russians cannot be unaware that this is an American facility.”Russia says it hit another cargo vessel in Ukraine’s Chornomorsk portRussia’s defence ministry said Russian forces struck another cargo vessel at Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port, according to Interfax.The ministry did not immediately provide further details on the vessel or the extent of any damage.Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 07:13Norway seizes Russian cruise ship over $4.2bn Ukraine compensation claimNorwegian authorities seized a Russian cruise ship in the Arctic on behalf of Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, which is seeking to enforce a $4.22bn compensation award against Russia over assets seized when Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.The 71-metre Professor Molchanov was seized late on Wednesday in Barentsburg, a Russian-operated coal-mining settlement on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago.Russia condemned the seizure as an act of piracy and said it had summoned Norway’s ambassador to deliver a strong protest. Moscow said it would work to secure the vessel’s release.A screengrab from an archive video shot in July 2022 shows Professor Molchanov, a Russian ship which was seized by Norway in the Arctic (Reuters)“Russia cannot evade responsibility simply by refusing to comply with an international arbitral award,” said Naftogaz acting CEO Sergii Fedorenko.Naftogaz has been pursuing compensation from Russia since 2016. An arbitration court in The Hague ordered Moscow in April 2023 to pay the company $4.22bn, plus interest and legal costs. Russia does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction and has refused to pay.Norway said the seizure was a matter between Naftogaz and Russia and did not involve the Norwegian government.The Professor Molchanov, built in Finland in 1982, is used for scientific expeditions and commercial cruises. It arrived in Barentsburg on Tuesday carrying a group of Russian scientists but was prevented from leaving the port after the seizure.Naftogaz’s lawyers said they had been tracking the vessel for months and described the seizure as a significant victory in their efforts to recover the money.“So we need to win another legal battle to be able to auction the vessel and get the money for our clients, which is the ultimate goal,” said Clovis Trevino, a partner at Covington, which represents Naftogaz.Naftogaz said it would continue pursuing Russian assets in other countries until the compensation is paid. The company says the award, including interest and costs, now totals about $6bn.Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 07:00Germany once cosied up to Putin. Now they are Russia’s public enemy number one in EuropeEighteen years before Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, the then German chancellor Gerhard Schröder was asked for his opinion on President Vladimir Putin.“I am thoroughly convinced that the Russian president wants to transform Russia into a democracy and that he is doing so out of a deeply held conviction,” he said in 2004. That same year, Putin was re-elected by a landslide in an election widely regarded as a sham.His comments underlined a spirit of cooperation and friendship that had grown between the two countries since the end of World War Two. Germany’s economy hugely benefited from imports of cheap Russian gas, culminating in the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea.That relationship has now hit an all-time low. On Wednesday, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, threatened Germany with direct military strikes in response to Berlin’s claim that Russia was behind a failed explosive drone attack at Leipzig Airport last month. The drone, which was laden with explosives, failed to detonate near a Ukrainian cargo plane.Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 06:31Trump says Europe should repay US for Ukraine aidDonald Trump said on Thursday that European countries should repay the US for military aid and ammunition previously sent to Ukraine.He also appeared to signal a temporary halt to some US weapons sales to allies.Trump said the US was building up its own stockpiles of munitions amid concerns over depleted supplies, particularly as the war with Iran continues.“We are taking them for ourselves, the USA, rather than selling them to others, but the sales to Allies will soon again begin,” Trump said in a social media post.He also said Europe should have paid for weapons provided to Ukraine and Nato, blaming the administration of his predecessor Joe Biden.“Hundreds of Billions of Dollars was given to Ukraine and Nato, free of charge, that Europe would have paid for – If they were only asked, but we will be asking for that money, though somewhat belatedly!” Trump wrote.The US and Nato last year established the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative, under which European countries pay for US-made weapons supplied to Ukraine.Trump’s comments came after Reuters reported last month that the US Army had used much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during the Iran war, raising concerns over US military readiness.The wars in Ukraine and Iran are also creating economic and political pressure on the Trump administration, with rising energy prices a growing concern.Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 05:59Ukraine and Poland weigh joint bid to host Fifa World CupUkraine and Poland are considering a joint bid to host the men’s Fifa World Cup in the 2040s, according to Politico.Ukraine’s sports minister Matvii Bidnyi told Politico that Kyiv would like to explore a joint bid with Poland for the next available World Cup hosting slot.“The nearest open date for the World Cup is somewhere in the 2040s … so we need to plan for this perspective right now,” Bidnyi said.Poland is also discussing the prospect, according to an official briefed by the Warsaw government.Ukraine already has experience co-hosting a major football tournament with Poland, Bidnyi said, referring to the 2012 men’s European Championship.“It would be very logical to repeat this successful case,” he said, adding that a joint World Cup bid could also “invite investors’ attention.”Spain, Portugal and Morocco will jointly host the 2030 World Cup, while Saudi Arabia is set to host the tournament in 2034.Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 05:43Zelensky says Russian drones hit Coca-Cola plant outside KyivRussian drones struck ​and damaged a Coca-Cola plant outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Thursday, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.Officials ⁠said there were no injuries in the strike near the town of Brovary, east of the capital."Today, ⁠the Russians have ​hit ⁠a Coca-Cola plant with their drone. Coca-Cola is such ⁠an enemy that they set ​it ⁠on fire with their ‌Shaheds," Zelensky said in his nightly video address, referring to Iranian-designed ‌drones."It's a clear Russian ‌signal to America. The Russians cannot be unaware that this is an American ⁠facility." Ukrainian rescuers work at a Coca-Cola factory hit by a Russian strike, in the Kyiv region on September 3, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine (AFP/Getty)Footage showed firefighting crews arriving at the scene and smoke rising above the plant and over nearby fields.Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, said the plant's ​staff were uninjured."The company ‌is working with ⁠the relevant authorities to assess ⁠the situation," Hunder told Reuters. "Ensuring the safety and ‌well-being ​of people remains ‌top priority." Firefighters drive along a road while smoke rises over a Coca-Cola factory after it was hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv Region, Ukraine September 3, 2026. (Reuters)Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 05:22Zelensky says negotiators expected in Moscow and Kyiv Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video address that US negotiators will ⁠soon visit Moscow and ⁠Kyiv to resume efforts to end the Russian invasion and preliminary dates have been set. "We expect to see representatives of ​the ⁠US president here in Kyiv," Zelensky said."There will be a meeting with them in Moscow and in Kyiv. We are expecting a meeting with them in the coming days. It is very important. It is important that America continues ⁠to be active."In Washington, Donald Trump said he wanted to see an end to the war and losses sustained ​by both ⁠sides."I just want to see that end. I ‌think we'll get it," Trump told GB News in an interview that aired on Thursday, a day after telling reporters he wanted a summit with Putin when the Kremlin leader is ready for a peace deal.Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 04:58Putin says there is a 'chance' for peace in Ukraine Vladimir Putin said on Thursday there was a chance of reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.Putin, speaking ⁠at an economic forum in Russia's far east, said a number of countries, including the US and China, were ready to support a peace settlement."Ultimately, however, the problem must be resolved by the countries involved in the conflict – Russia and Ukraine," he said."We are grateful to everyone attempting to contribute to a settlement. Is there a chance? In my view, yes, there is."Putin's targeting of Germany is partially strategic, say experts (AP)Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 04:41Russia to close German cultural centres in retaliationRussia will close German cultural centres in Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, in retaliation for Germany’s decision to shut Russian diplomatic and cultural facilities.Lavrov said Berlin “could not have failed to understand” that closing the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin would mark the end of Germany’s cultural presence in Russia.(AFP/Getty)The move comes amid escalating tensions between Moscow and Berlin over alleged Russian sabotage activities. Germany has accused Russia of a hybrid campaign targeting the country and said it had become a “daily target” of the Kremlin.Berlin blamed Moscow for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on 4 August. An explosives-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian aircraft at the major freight hub and was later defused.Separately, Bavarian police said on Thursday that incendiary devices had been thrown at a construction site near a building in Munich housing several companies, including firms from the defence sector. A brief fire caused no significant damage. Two Bulgarian nationals were arrested, although police have not confirmed their suspected involvement.Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 04:13Huge fire at oil depot in Russia's Sochi after Ukrainian strike, local authorities sayA Ukrainian drone ⁠strike caused a fire at ⁠an ​oil ⁠depot ⁠in ​the Russian ⁠Black ‌Sea port city ‌of Sochi, authorities ‌in ⁠the Krasnodar region where the city is located ‌said ​on ‌the ⁠Telegram messaging ⁠app.Videos showed a huge ball of fire and smoke emanating from the depot as residents shot video from a nearby high-rise building.Shweta Sharma4 September 2026 03:56