Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted leaders and representatives from seven regional countries for talks on deepening cooperation on Friday (September 18, 2026), after overnight Russian strikes in multiple regions sparked fires and caused several deaths and injuries.
Speaking at a meeting of a government commission on new weapons, Mr. Putin declared that the Western claims about Russia’s purported aggressive plans were intended to justify a boost in defence spending. He again denied that Russia has any hostile intentions toward Europe, but warned that it will be forced to respond to any aggressive action by Western allies, such as the seizure of merchant vessels operated by Russia.
“Let’s live in peace, otherwise we will be forced to respond in kind – it must be quite obvious to everyone,” he said.
The summit also comes as three days of voting began in Russia’s first wartime parliamentary election, which features virtually no opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s party and is all but certain to secure the Kremlin’s political dominance. Mr. Tusk, Poland’s Prime Minister, warned on Thursday (September 17, 2026) before departing for Ukraine that Moscow is planning hybrid strikes with drones or rockets on European countries supporting Kyiv, among them Poland.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) that the EU needs a NATO-like mechanism to better respond to hybrid attacks blamed on Russia, and to develop “a consensus on how to respond to certain incidents … that fall below armed aggression but clearly threaten our national security.”
