Overview

• In an Axios interview, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he asked President Donald Trump for a specific, undisclosed weapons system to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin to negotiate.
• He said Trump responded “We will work on it” and endorsed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, drone factories and missile storage sites in response to Russian attacks.
• Following their UN meeting, Trump called Russia a “paper tiger” and said Ukraine, with EU support, could retake all territory occupied by Russian forces.
• ISW reported the Kremlin is advancing three narratives to influence U.S. policy: unwavering war goals, claims of inevitable Russian victory, and a push for renewed U.S.–Russia economic focus.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Dmitry Medvedev publicly rejected Trump’s remarks, and reporting notes no immediate U.S. policy changes or new sanctions tied to the rhetoric.