Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Donald Trump had at last agreed to issue Ukraine with the licences to produce vital Patriot interceptor missiles in house, reducing reliance on foreign imports and allowing the country to defend against Russian aerial attacks.

“There are concrete agreements regarding Patriot licenses,” the Ukrainian president said.

“At our meeting, President Trump stressed that he had made his final decision: Ukraine will receive licenses to produce Patriot missiles.”

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung accused Ukraine of breaking a confidentiality agreement by publicly revealing that two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia had been sent to South Korea.

Zelensky announced the transfer during his UN speech, saying Ukraine had handed over the two POWs to South Korea after consultations.

Lee wrote on X: “I do not know why the Ukrainian side broke the agreement and made the matter public, but it is very disappointing.

“The issue of bringing North Korean prisoners to South Korea is a highly sensitive one that could have a major impact on diplomacy, security and the situation on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.

His comments came as opposition parties in South Korea questioned Lee for hiding arrival of North Korean troops in South Korea after it was first revealed by Zelensky.

Lee said those who “harm someone’s life, national interest, or security for their own petty gain are called murderers or traitors”.

“Criticising valid and justified confidentiality measures is wrong,” he said.

In a significant shift, 46 veterans of the war in Ukraine have won seats in the newly elected State Duma, officials have confirmed.

Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova noted that 41 of the elected veterans ran under the United Russia banner.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised the outcome, stating that “the experience of our heroes is in high demand” and that the lawmakers would actively shape future government initiatives.

The remaining seats in the chamber were split between Kremlin-aligned “systemic opposition” parties, including the Communists, the LDPR, and four unaffiliated regional figures.

The anti-war liberal Yabloko party was barred from the ballot by Russia’s Supreme Court ahead of the vote.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that he asked Donald Trump to use Beijing’s influence over Moscow to help end the conflict.

The US has said that Washington has proposed holding preliminary technical-level trilateral talks between US, Ukrainian, and Russian delegations in the United Arab Emirates.

Russian president Vladimir Putin says all proposals to settle the war with Ukraine remain “on the table,” though Moscow is still determining what best serves its national interests.

Addressing Russian journalists on Friday, Putin said: “They are the ones who started it … Everywhere, on every front. Are these playthings, child’s play?” Putin said, warning that before negotiations, Ukraine will face a sustained military response.

“They should therefore be made to feel Russia’s retaliatory strikes and understand that no provocative actions … will work. They’re only making things worse for themselves.”

While confirming that ceasefire and negotiation frameworks remain technically possible, Putin stressed that Moscow “will still have to think carefully about what we need to do in response” before committing to any formal deal.

Russian president Vladimir Putin claimed on Friday that Moscow’s retaliatory strikes were so severe that Kyiv was forced to ask for a ceasefire, according to state news agency TASS.

Putin said that Russia had been open to resuming negotiations following recent elections, but accused Ukrainian forces of derailing potential talks by launching drone attacks toward Moscow and targeting polling stations.

“Russia’s response to Kyiv’s attacks was so forceful that Kyiv requested a ceasefire,” the president claimed, asserting that the scale of Russian counter-strikes left Ukrainian leadership with no choice but to seek a halt in hostilities.

The Kremlin has repeatedly used state platforms to frame its military actions as necessary defensive responses to Ukrainian escalation.

Kyiv has consistently rejected such characterisations, maintaining that its long-range drone operations strictly target military infrastructure supporting Moscow’s ongoing war effort.

Planned government cuts to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme could “send the wrong message to Putin” by giving the impression that Western support for Kyiv is faltering, a Conservative former defence secretary has warned.

Starting from January 1, monthly “thank-you” payments for households hosting Ukrainian refugees are set to drop from £350 to £100.

Local authority funding to support the initiative will also be scaled back on the same date, falling from £5,900 per guest to £3,300 per arrival.

Established in response to Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the initiative has supported 181,000 of the 234,000 Ukrainians who fled to the UK to escape the conflict.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Tory former defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps claimed that Andy Burnham’s government had “slipped out” the decision on 15 September, expressing concern over how the move might be perceived.

The Trump administration has formally committed nearly all of the $400 million in military aid approved by Congress for Ukraine, meeting a September 30 expiration deadline.

According to Reuters, $307 million of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package has already been locked in under binding contracts, with the remaining $93 million expected to be approved before the end of the fiscal year.

The move follows bipartisan criticism accusing the Pentagon of “slow-walking” the assistance.

Deliveries include offensive weapons and armoured vehicle spare parts, though Patriot air defence missiles are excluded due to global supply shortages.

The development comes as Trump shows signs of warming toward Kyiv, recently meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in New York to discuss potential ceasefire frameworks.

Full results from Russia’s parliamentary election show president Vladimir Putin’s ruling party, United Russia, to have won the country’s elections.

The Central Election Commission announced Friday that United Russia secured a record 349 out of 450 seats in the State Duma.

Several registered anti-war candidates and independent figures were disqualified or barred from appearing on the ballot ahead of the campaign, including the liberal Yabloko party, which was removed from the list by the Supreme Court.

Turnout reached nearly 60 per cent; the highest for a parliamentary poll in over a decade, boosted by multi-day and electronic voting options.

The election was Russia’s first legislative vote since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and included voting in illegally annexed Ukrainian territories, drawing fierce condemnation from Kyiv.