EU deadlocked on changes to Russia sanctions ahead of key Ukraine, Greenland talks – Europe live | World news
Morning opening: Welcome to New York
Jakub Krupa
Global leaders are gathering in New York this week for the 81st UN general assembly and given the state of the world, it’s likely to be a lively one.
We are expecting to hear today from the US president, Donald Trump, Finland’s president Alexander Stubb, and France’s Emmanuel Macron (in his last UNGA appearance), among others.
Macron got to New York early and already held talks with Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy last night, possibly trying to mediate ahead of the pair’s closely watched meeting later today. Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to sit down together in the late afternoon or early evening.
Outside the main UNGA room, it will also be worth keeping an eye on Trump’s meeting with Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Jens-Frederik Nielsen as they meet to sign the new Greenland deal on Arctic security.
Expect potentially diverging interpretations of what the deal actually involves…
Separately, I will also keep an eye on events back in Europe as EU ambassadors meet in Brussels to discuss the latest Russia sanctions list with some controversial attempts to amend it and take some fairly well-known names out of it. More on that shortly.
Lots for us to cover today.
It’s Tuesday, 22 September 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
Jakub Krupa
Just a quick note with bit of guidance on timings today, as we are inevitably looking at events across the ocean.
Donald Trump’s speech to the UN general assembly is expected around 10am New York time. That’s 3pm UK, 4pm in most of Europe.
Our US blog colleagues will cover it in excruciating detail if you don’t want to miss a single thing, but rest assured I will pick up key bits on Europe here.
And if you want to plan further ahead:
The Greenland deal signing ceremony is expected around 10.30am (3.30pm UK, 4.30pm Europe).
And Trump’s sit-down with Zelenskyy will be around 13.15am New York time, so 6.15pm UK, 7.15pm Europe.
Greenlanders feel ‘a mixture of hope, scepticism and fear’ ahead of signing new Greenland deal with US
Miranda Bryant
Nordic correspondent
Emotions among Greenlanders are a mixture of hope, scepticism and fear ahead of the signing of a new much vaunted deal on Arctic security between the US, Greenland and Denmark.
It has been hailed by many in Denmark as a diplomatic triumph, but with just hours until the three leaders are expected to put pen to paper, the contents of the agreement remain secret.
Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, the national organisation for Greenlanders in Denmark, arrived back in Copenhagen on Monday from Nuuk and was in Greenland when news of the deal was first announced on Friday.
After 1.5 years of being “terrorised” by Trump, she said it was a welcome relief that she hopes will mean that Greenlanders can sleep soundly again.
But on the other hand, there is worry about Greenland losing sovereignty and what it will mean in terms of military presence.
“Many people were very sceptical,” she said.
“There have been many different reactions in Greenland because they are talking about a deal but no one can see the deal, we don’t know what it is all about, and what’s in it for us or what’s in it. Also, because we have been terrorised as a people for the last 1.5 years by the American president, so many people feel no trust at all.”
But at the same time there is also a strong sense of pride that Greenland is at the decision-making table.
It was, she said, incredibly emotional when she heard the plane took off from Nuuk carrying Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, to New York.
“People hope for the best and they hope this will be over now.” she said.
Trump to meet with Danish, Greenlandic leaders to sign ‘Greenland deal’ on Arctic security
With much focus on Donald Trump’s speech which will be one of the first ones during today’s morning session, the first big European event will come shortly after his speech.
At around 3.30pm UK time (4.30pm CEST), Trump is expected to meet with Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Jens-Friedrik Nielsen to finalise the new “Greenland deal” on security in the Arctic.
The Danish and Greenlandic delegations held their final prep meeting at the Danish consul general’s residence in New York last night.
Denmark’s Frederiksen insisted that the agreement reiterated Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, and the Greenlanders right to self-determine their future – despite Trump’s previous attempts to make the territory a part of the US.
Meanwhile, Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in an Instagram video this morning that he was looking forward to the agreement being finally signed, and hoped it would close “a destructive chapter in an otherwise excellent story of strong transatlantic cooperation” with the US, DR reported.
The signing ceremony will be closely watched for any further indications on what is actually in the deal that would be fundamentally different from previous agreements over Greenland, and whether Trump is ready to give up on his dreams about the territory.
I will bring you the key lines here, obviously.
New rotation of US troops on its way to Lithuania, president Nausėda says
But there are some good news from Lithuania, too: the country’s president Gitanas Nausėda announced that “the new rotation of US troops is already on its way to Lithuania.”
The decision comes after prolonged uncertainty about the US military presence in the region amid growing speculations that a posture review could see some of them pulled out from Europe including Nato’s eastern flank – despite growing threat from Russia.
Nausėda said:
“We are grateful to @POTUS Donald Trump and the US administration for this decision, which is important not only for Lithuania, but also for the security of the entire region.”
In a longer statement on his website, the president added:
“The US military presence in Lithuania is an indispensable part of our deterrence and collective defence, and our Allies’ commitment to stand with us sends a clear message: Nato is ready to defend every inch of its territory.”
The statement said “the exact number of U.S. troops in the new rotation has not yet been confirmed, but it will be no smaller than previously,” with up to 1,000 US troops stationed in Lithuania on rotation since 2019.
Trump set to press Zelenskyy at UN to agree energy ceasefire with Russia
Andrew Roth
Global affairs correspondent
Donald Trump is expected to press Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on an energy ceasefire during a face-to-face meeting later today during United Nations high-level week, as world diesel prices have soared due to the war in Iran, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ukraine stepped up its attacks on Russia’s energy sector over the weekend, launching its largest reported strike yet on the Moscow region in a barrage that struck a major Moscow oil refinery and killed three people.
On Monday, Trump said the whole world was suffering due to an energy shortage that he said was being exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.
“Russia has unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday morning. “A large number of their Diesel refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission.”
“This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended,” Trump said. “The whole World suffers as 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, are being killed each month. What a shame!”
Trump had earlier blamed Kyiv for the escalating energy war even as Russia has decimated Ukraine’s economy and launched night barrages of drones and ballistic missiles against Ukrainian cities.
Zelenskyy on Monday said negotiations were continuing and that that there are “ideas on the table for bringing peace closer, starting with strong de-escalation steps”.
“Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part,” he said in a statement. “Solutions are possible.”
The two leaders are expected to meet on Tuesday during a rare sitdown on the sidelines of the high-level week of the United Nations general assembly.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will also be in Washington this week, and is expected to meet with secretary of state Marco Rubio.
Lithuania’s PM worries about ’emotional state’ of the public amid increased worries about Russia
Lithuanian prime minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has warned that citizens in his country are increasingly affected by concerns about potential Russian aggression.
Speaking on BBC Newsnight last night, he described the emotional toll on the population, highlighting overnight air raid alarms triggered by drone activity in Lithuanian airspace.
“It’s an alarming thing, you know when you in the middle of the night you receive an alarm and your phone starts alarming, go to the shelter and maybe yellow, red signal of threat. That’s not a good emotional situation,” he said.
Sinkevičius also confirmed that while Lithuania has no plans to surrender, contingency evacuation plans are in place if required:
“There are plans prepared for evacuation. Of course there would be groups of people, handicapped, elderly people, that will be priority groups of citizens that will be needed to be assisted and evacuated. We’re thinking about a variety of scenarios, not all of them are being discussed very much publicly.
Calling for a “shift in mindset” among western allies, Sinkevičius also added:
“When we’re closer to the border and closer to threat, the shift in mindset of political actors is quicker. … We face concrete threats, not on a daily basis, but we’re experiencing them and it’s a true reality for us.”
European spy chiefs warn Moscow is planning more decisive action against Nato
Shaun Walker
Meanwhile, European leaders attending the UN general assembly in New York will also have the growing concerns about Russia’s aggressive posture in eastern Europe at the back of their mind.
As the Guardian’s Shaun Walker reported over the weekend, European intelligence officials have raised the possibility of an imminent Russian test of Nato, with one saying a potential attack could come in a matter of “months, not years”.
“Michal Koudelka, the head of the Czech Republic’s BIS security service, said that as well as increased drone activity, a small-scale invasion of Nato territory that bordered Russia could be part of the Kremlin’s plans.
“It’s possible. It could involve a limited incursion, false-flag provocations, a massive influence campaign,” he said, in a rare interview at the agency’s headquarters in Prague.
He said this scenario could play out in a matter of “months, not years” but added that “a lot of people are doing everything they can to make sure this doesn’t happen””
Kremlin says all Russia sanctions are illegal, should be lifted
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said it considered all western sanctions on Russian individuals to be illegal and that they should all be revoked.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was answering a question about a push by some EU countries to lift sanctions on Russia-linked billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman in return for keeping thousands of other individuals and businesses under sanctions related to the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported (11:15).
Macron, Zelenskyy discuss Russia’s strikes on energy infrastructure ahead of winter
During their last night’s meeting, France’s Macron and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy discussed Russia’s continuing strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which the French president said “threaten to deprive millions of families of heating and electricity.”
“France will stand by Ukraine to face the winter, and the G7 Energy will also be mobilised at its side,” Macron added.
He also said:
“We are strengthening its air defence with the signing of a contract for the delivery of radars, as well as the supply of interceptors.
I also discussed this support with President Trump, as well as the prospect of an energy truce and a moratorium in the Black Sea, which we support. This will be a key issue in the negotiations that must resume and that must lead to a just and lasting peace.”
Zelenskyy added that the pair “spoke primarily about security and the winter support package for Ukraine.”
But just hours after their discussions we received further reports of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s oil and gas facilities, including in Poltava region.
Largest Ukrainian oil and gas company, Naftogaz, said the attack using ballistic missiles caused “critical damage” to the site, effectively making it impossible to restore it, Reuters reported.
EU deadlocked over plans to remove two Russian billionaires from sanctions list
Jennifer Rankin
in Brussels
The EU is deadlocked over a plan to remove two Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from its sanctions list as part of a bitterly disputed deal to keep broader restrictions in place on nearly 3,000 people and companies accused of enabling Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.
Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states failed to reach agreement at a meeting early on Tuesday – their third session in around 24 hours on the topic. The senior diplomats will reconvene later today just hours ahead of a legal deadline.
Without an agreement sanctions on nearly 3,000 people and entities accused of supporting the war on Ukraine will lapse at the end of Tuesday 22 September.
The list includes Vladimir Putin, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, Duma deputies, Russia’s major banks, energy companies and military industrial complex.
The EU can also agree a short-term extension pending a longer agreement and has already prolonged the deadline by one week. One diplomat suggested that was a likely outcome.
Latvia emerged as the last-minute block on an agreement. Like many member states the Baltic state has strong objections to the de-listings, which are demanded by France and Slovakia.
Latvia’s prime minister Andris Kulbergs tweeted late Monday night that he could not accept the proposed compromise – the de-listings of Usmanov and Fridman in exchange for a 36-month extension of the blacklist of nearly 3,000 names, far longer than the usual six-month rollover.
He said:
“Extending sanctions for 36 months would be the right step. However, the price for it must not be simply striking both individuals from the sanctions list. Latvia cannot accept SUCH an offer.”
He added that his foreign minister, Baiba Braže, would work with “Brussels and Paris to find a solution SUITABLE for Latvia’s interests. We will seek support in the EUROPEAN UNION for Latvia’s position”.
When details of the expected deal emerged on Monday, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the delisting was “unacceptable and would send the wrong signal to Moscow at a time when pressure needs to increase”.
France infuriated and stunned EU member states by joining Slovakia’s populist government in petitioning for Usmanov’s de-listing earlier this month. France has told EU diplomats only that the delisting is on national security grounds. The Financial Times has reported that it is linked to a prisoner exchange deal with Azerbaijan involving the release of French nationals.
Azerbaijan, along with the Organisation of Turkic States, has previously lobbied western decision-makers to remove Usmanov from sanctions listings, describing him as “a renowned philanthropist” who has built bridges between the West, Central Asia and wider Turkic world. Slovakia began lobbying for Usmanov and fellow billionaire Mikhail Fridman to be removed from the EU sanctions list in the summer.
Luxembourg has argued that Fridman should come off the list, if Usmanov is removed. Fridman is seeking $16bn in damages from Luxembourg for freezing his assets.
Morning opening: Welcome to New York
Jakub Krupa
Global leaders are gathering in New York this week for the 81st UN general assembly and given the state of the world, it’s likely to be a lively one.
We are expecting to hear today from the US president, Donald Trump, Finland’s president Alexander Stubb, and France’s Emmanuel Macron (in his last UNGA appearance), among others.
Macron got to New York early and already held talks with Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy last night, possibly trying to mediate ahead of the pair’s closely watched meeting later today. Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to sit down together in the late afternoon or early evening.
Outside the main UNGA room, it will also be worth keeping an eye on Trump’s meeting with Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Jens-Frederik Nielsen as they meet to sign the new Greenland deal on Arctic security.
Expect potentially diverging interpretations of what the deal actually involves…
Separately, I will also keep an eye on events back in Europe as EU ambassadors meet in Brussels to discuss the latest Russia sanctions list with some controversial attempts to amend it and take some fairly well-known names out of it. More on that shortly.
Lots for us to cover today.
It’s Tuesday, 22 September 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
