September 21, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Tara Subramaniam, Andrew Raine, Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 9:41 p.m. ET, September 21, 2022
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11:32 a.m. ET, September 21, 2022

Biden says "no one threatened Russia" and "no one other than Russia sought conflict" in Ukraine 

(Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
(Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

US President Joe Biden said during remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed he had "to act" and invade Ukraine "because Russia was threatened."

Biden added, "no one threatened Russia, and no one other than Russia sought conflict." 

Speaking directly to the leaders present at the assembly, the President continued: "In fact, we warned it was coming, and many of you tried to avert it." 

11:30 a.m. ET, September 21, 2022

Biden pledges US will continue to stand in solidarity with Ukraine

(Evan Vucci/AP)
(Evan Vucci/AP)

US President Joe Biden vowed to stand with Ukraine and against Russian aggression during remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

"This past year the world was tested as well, and we did not hesitate. We chose liberty. We chose sovereignty. We chose principles to which every party to the United Nations charter is beholding. We stood with Ukraine," Biden said Wednesday.

Biden said that members of the UN must be united against Russia's war.

"Like you, the United States wants this war to end on just terms, on terms we all signed up for, that you cannot seize a nation's territory by force. The only country standing in the way of that is Russia, so we, each of us in this body, we determine to uphold the principles and beliefs we pledge to defend as members of the United Nations, must be clear, firm and unwavering in our resolve," he said. 

"Ukraine has the same rights that belong to every sovereign nation. We will stand in solidarity with Ukraine, we will stand in solidarity against Russia's aggression, period," Biden added.

##UNGA#

11:27 a.m. ET, September 21, 2022

Russia's actions are in "significant violation of the UN charter," Biden says

(Mary Altaffer/AP)
(Mary Altaffer/AP)

US President Joe Biden addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech announcing an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens and making a thinly veiled nuclear threat.

"President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe, and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of a non-proliferation regime. Now Russia is calling up more soldiers to join the fight, and the Kremlin is organizing a sham referendum to try to annex parts of Ukraine — an extremely significant violation of the UN charter," Biden said.

"This world should see these outrageous acts for what they are," he added.

##UNGA#

2:12 p.m. ET, September 21, 2022

Biden says Ukraine invasion is "a war chosen by one man, to be very blunt"

President Joe Biden opened his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York by speaking about Russian president Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, "a war chosen by one man, to be very blunt."

"Let us speak plainly. A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase the sovereign state from the map," Biden said.

"Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations charter," he said.

2:13 p.m. ET, September 21, 2022

Putin's partial mobilization plans show he is "clearly afraid," Estonian prime minster says

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "clearly afraid" after he announced partial mobilization and hinted at use of nuclear weapons.

"The threat has always been real, considering that Russia is a nuclear power. And we see that this war is not going in accordance with Putin's plans, so he's clearly afraid. That's why he's making the next steps: First, doing the fake referendums to say these are Russian territories, then when Ukraine makes counterattacks saying that Ukraine is now attacking Russia, and then, you know, giving reasons to further escalate," she told CNN's Jim Sciutto.

Kallas said Estonia has seen no indication that Putin is taking steps to carry out his nuclear threats.

"He's making those threats to make us afraid, and we shouldn't be afraid by his threats," she said. 

"We should not give in one inch. We should actually put more pressure on Russia to stop this war, because now the discontent within the Russian society is also building, because they are also feeling the war on their skin, so to say," Kallas added.

10:30 a.m. ET, September 21, 2022

Putin's partial mobilization move is "no surprise" as Russian forces see high desertion rates, Zelensky claims

From CNN's Stephanie Halasz and Tim Lister

Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement on an immediate partial mobilization comes as no surprise, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told German media outlet BILD.

The announcement shows that Russia has "problems with officers and other military personnel," he said.

"We already know that they mobilized cadets — guys who couldn't fight. These cadets have fallen. They couldn't even finish their training. All these people can't fight. They have come to us and are dying," according to BILD's account of the interview, which it translated into German. "He sees that his units are just running away. He needs an army of millions to come to us. Because he sees that a large part of those who come to us just run away."

CNN translated BILD's report.

"He wants to drown Ukraine in blood, but also in the blood of his own soldiers," Zelensky added.

Zelensky said he had not seen Putin's speech.

It was "not my favorite video," he said, adding that the speech was "nothing new for me."

BILD said Zelensky insisted that Ukraine's plans to recover its territory would not be affected.

"We will act step by step according to our plans. I am sure we will liberate our territory," he said, according to BILD. 

He said the referendums planned by Kremlin-backed authorities later this week in occupied Ukrainian territories were a "sham" and that 90% of governments would not recognize them.

Zelesnky also told BILD that he doesn't believe Putin will use nuclear weapons despite the Russian president's thinly veiled warning earlier on Wednesday.

"I don't believe he will use them. I don't believe the world will allow him to use these weapons," he said, adding that caveat that "we cannot look into this person's head, there are risks."

10:20 a.m. ET, September 21, 2022

Putin's threats are "dangerous and reckless" nuclear rhetoric, says NATO chief

From CNN’s Allegra Goodwin in London

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday described Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Moscow would use “all the means” at its disposal in its war in Ukraine as part of a “dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric.” 

Stoltenberg also said that Putin "made a big miscalculation" on the invasion of Ukraine. 

Putin had referenced his potential use of nuclear weapons earlier on Wednesday, saying, “those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds can turn in their direction.”

Stoltenberg said in an interview with Reuters in New York that “nuclear war should never be fought,” adding “it will have unprecedented consequences for Russia.”

He added that NATO had “increased its military presence, especially in the eastern part of the alliance, to remove any room for miscalculation or misunderstanding in Moscow.”

Stoltenberg told Reuters that Putin’s Wednesday speech, in which Russia announced a partial mobilization, was “an escalation” but “not a surprise.”

Putin’s speech “demonstrates that the war is not going according to President Putin’s plans,” Stoltenberg said. 

“He has made a big miscalculation. He thought he was able to take control of Ukraine within days,” the NATO chief added, pointing out this was not the case, as Russian forces were forced to move out of Kyiv and as the Ukrainians had been able to liberate some territory.
11:13 a.m. ET, September 21, 2022

US President Biden plans to issue a "firm rebuke" of Russia's war in Ukraine at UNGA

From CNN's Kaitlan Collins and Kevin Liptak

US President Joe Biden waves as he disembarks Air Force One at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York City on September 20.
US President Joe Biden waves as he disembarks Air Force One at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York City on September 20. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

President Biden plans to issue a "firm rebuke" of Russia's war in Ukraine on Wednesday in his speech at the United Nations following Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement ordering an immediate "partial mobilization" of Russian citizens.

An official said Biden will​ respond to Putin’s speech when he speaks at the United Nations General Assembly shortly.

Putin's speech was seen internally as both an escalation and sign of weakness. Coming several hours before Biden's yearly address at the UNGA, it set up a rhetorical showdown with the US leader, who had already been planning to make the war in Ukraine a centerpiece of his speech.

Biden plans to deliver “a call to the world to continue to stand against the naked aggression that we’ve seen these past several months," his national security adviser said.

What we know: The White House said it was aware that Putin could be making the announcement ahead of Biden's UN speech, and that the announcement did not require his staff to rewrite his speech. 

"The NSC had been aware of the possibility of Putin making such an announcement, so the speech did not have to be rewritten," an official said. 

"Secretary Blinken and NSA Sullivan did review the speech with the President in the morning, and certain lines were adjusted and emphasized, but the speech already fit the moment," the official said.

Update: This post has been updated to reflect that Biden is expected to respond to Putin’s speech.

10:10 a.m. ET, September 21, 2022

NASA astronaut and 2 Russian cosmonauts launch to space

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, center, and Dmitri Petelin, right, with NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, left, walk to report to Russia's Roscosmos space agency head prior to the launch at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 21.
Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, center, and Dmitri Petelin, right, with NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, left, walk to report to Russia's Roscosmos space agency head prior to the launch at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 21. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images)

A Russian capsule took an American to space today, marking a notable continuation of the Russian-US partnership in space in an era of great geopolitical tension.

The spacecraft took off from the famed Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev on what is expected to be a six-month stay on the International Space Station. Liftoff occurred at 9:54 a.m. ET. 

When Rubio and his Russian counterparts make it to the space station, they'll be tag-teaming with astronauts from the United States, Russia and Europe. The space station, which has continuously had people on board since the year 2000, keeps a rotating base of crew members to ensure the orbiting laboratory is consistently staffed with enough astronauts to maintain the space station's hardware as well keep a lengthy log of space-based experiments operating.

Remember: In July, Russia said it was planning to pull out of the International Space Station and end its decades-long partnership with NASA at the orbiting outpost after 2024, according to the head of Russia’s space agency.