Trump opens helipad on South Lawn of White House

Trump opens helipad on South Lawn of White House Video footage showed Donald Trump cutting the ribbon on the paved path leading to the helipad in the presence of construction workersWASHINGTON, September 21. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has opened a new helipad on the South Lawn of the White House, according to the presidential press service. Video footage showed Trump cutting the ribbon on the paved path leading to the helipad in the presence of construction workers before leaving for the Andrews military base near Washington. The president addressed the audience with a short speech, but it was drowned in the noise of engines of a new presidential helicopter VH-92A Patriot behind him. Journalists from the White House press pool who were present at Trump's departure also admitted that they did not hear what he said. They confirmed that the press pool accompanying the president during his trip to New York to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) contrary to custom did not include television companies. Earlier, Politico quoted a letter from head of the Washington office of Fox News channel Bryan Boughton as saying that major US television companies making the White House press pool refused to broadcast live events with the US president in protest against his denial of access to the White House to some media outlets. According to the story, the main TV companies of the press pool are ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC. The newspaper noted that the television companies’ refusal to cover Trump’s activities as part of the press pool may create difficulties in receiving images and videos from the UNGA. On September 18, Trump denied access to the White House to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico for spreading false information about his administration. He added that the list of banned media outlets may be expanded, adding though he may change his mind. On September 19, correspondents and technical staff of the TV companies lost access to the White House. The main general policy debates at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly will begin on September 22. TagsUnited StatesDonald TrumpCIA chief meets with Zelensky in Ireland — ReutersThe CIA Director John Ratcliffe also visited Moscow on August 25Read moreBattlegroup North takes 100 sq km in Kharkov Region last week — expertAndrey Marochko said that 10 settlements came under the Russian forces’ controlRead moreRussian forces hit Radionix plant, B-Mobile data center in KievRussian forces carried out group strikes overnight using air-launched precision weapons and strike unmanned aerial vehiclesRead moreTurnout on federal remote electronic voting platform reaches 90%More than 4 million people in total submitted applications to vote via the federal digital platformRead moreDmitriev says Europe in largest energy crisis in historySpecial Representative of Russian President for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, Chief Executive Officer of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) also gave a comment on reports of fuel supply disruptions in FranceRead moreSlovak premier says Ukraine’s decision not to sign peace deal in 2022 was a mistakeRobert Fico added that the West has been "pouring oil on the flames of the conflict in Ukraine," describing the possibility of a larger conflict between Russia and NATO as a "mortal danger"Read moreUS, China fail to agree on extending trade truce — FTAccording to the newspaper, the disagreements primarily concern the length of the deal’s extensionRead moreAll attempts to disrupt State Duma votes abroad failed — Russian Deputy FMState Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Yevgeny Ivanov also highlighted the total failure of a widely publicized campaign orchestrated by the non-systemic opposition, who had planned to paralyze polling stations with mass midday gatheringsRead moreRussia, US plan to hold meetings on irritants in bilateral ties soon — ambassadorAlexander Darchiev specified that the agenda will include visa issues and the return of six Russian properties de facto seized in the USRead moreAfD co-chair urges Merz to ‘draw conclusions’ after crushing election defeatAlice Weidel added that the AfD’s long-term strategy aims at coalition negotiations with the Christian DemocratsRead moreRussian air defenses down 1,110 Ukrainian drones overnightOn-duty air defense systems intercepted and destroyed fixed-wing drones over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Ryazan, Tula, Kaluga, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Tambov, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Smolensk, Oryol, Rostov, Volgograd and Saratov regions, the Samara Region, the Krasnodar Region, the Moscow Region and the Republic of Crimea, as well as over the Black SeaRead moreUnited Russia ahead in Duma election with 90.43% of ballots processedIt is followed by the CPRF with 13,84%, the LDPR with 8.9%, New People with 7.94%, and A Just Russia with 4.95%Read moreOver 104,000 Russians abroad voted in State Duma elections — Russian MFA spokeswomanMaria Zakharova added that election officials conducted 120 mobile early voting sessionsRead moreCurrent State Duma election turnout outstrips 1993, 2016, 2021 levelsCentral Election Commission data as of 06:04 p.m. Moscow time puts the current turnout at 54.96%Read moreUkraine sought to draw Poland into hostilities with Russia — opposition leaderAccording to Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the Ukrainians hoped to draw Poland into the conflict "by creating a single state"Read moreChina ready to work with US to promote global peace and stability — Foreign MinistryChinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun noted that mutual visits by the leaders of China and the US "are of historic significance and serve as an important milestone"Read moreNumber of drones destroyed while approaching Moscow reaches 338First responders are working in areas where fragments fell, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reportedRead morePoland says US may deploy 15,000 troops in countryBetween 6,500 and 7,500 US military personnel are stationed in Poland at presentRead moreKiev loses 9,300 troops, mercenaries in combat over past week — expertAndrey Marochko said the heaviest manpower losses were inflicted on Ukrainian armed formations in the area of responsibility of the Battlegroup CenterRead moreRussian government zeroes out grain export duties through end of 2026The Russian Agriculture Ministry noted that the decision aims to support domestic producers and exporters of grain and oilseed cropsRead moreRussian parliamentary election turnout exceeds 2021 levelAs of 3:14 p.m. Moscow time (12:14 p.m. GMT), voter turnout in the current election stood at 52.62%, according to data from Russia’s Central Election CommissionRead moreUAC plans to increase aircraft production by 25-30% in 2026UAC CEO Vadim Badekha specified that growth in 2025-2026 had been driven mainly by military aircraft and civilian aircraft would account for most of the increase in production in the coming yearsRead moreWarehouses, infrastructure facilities damaged in Kiev RegionAccording to Timur Tkachenko, damage was recorded in the Fastov, Bucha, Vyshgorod, Borispol, and Obukhov districts of the Kiev RegionRead moreIran to strike new US targets in Middle East with new weapons in case of aggression — IRGCHossein Mohebi emphasized that the changes would affect the geography of war, weapons and military equipment usedRead moreUkraine may lose up to 6.8% of GDP in 2027 amid continued hostilitiesUkrainian Finance Ministry officials warn of an exacerbating energy crisis, export issues and labor shortages due to people fleeing the country and ongoing mobilizationRead moreRussian forces strike logistics centers, ports in UkraineA bulk carrier carrying cargo intended to support the Ukrainian armed forces to the port of Odessa was hit while crossing the seaRead morePutin notes at meeting with US negotiators that situation is difficult to discuss"And we will have to deal with it today", Russian President said in his opening remarks Read moreUS may ‘pluck numbers out of air,’ while Iran publishes truth about dead — Mehr agencyAccording to the agency's Managing Director Mohammad Mehdi Rahmati, the US can change the figures to suit their own goalsRead moreFinnair forced to launch 24-hour flight due to Russian airspace banThe route from Finland to Australia will include a technical stopover in BangkokRead moreChina congratulates Russia on successful State Duma elections — Foreign Ministry"The State Duma elections are an important event in Russia’s political life, and the outcome reflects the will of the Russian people," Guo Jiakun saidRead moreUS warns Netherlands about looming large-scale sanctions against ICC — APThe restrictions may affect the majority of financial transactions with the court and potentially paralyze its operationsRead moreRussian diplomat sees EU sponsoring Ukraine’s strategy toward humanitarian crisisRodion Miroshnik specified that in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, part of the DPR and the LPR, and certain areas in the Belgorod Region a deliberate provocation of a humanitarian crisis can be seen Read moreCEC chairwoman comments on preliminary election results, unprecedented threatsVoter turnout in the State Duma election stood at 59.32%, with more than 62.6 million citizens casting ballotsRead moreIN BRIEF: Kremlin spokesman covers NATO’s nature, US sanctionsAccording to Dmitry Peskov, Russia has largely adapted to the sanctions and has also found ways to reduce the negative effects of their implementationRead moreTime running out for Ukrainian troops in Kursk area to lay down arms — KremlinPutin thus responded to the call of US President Donald Trump, who offered to "spare" the Ukrainian troops in Kursk RegionRead moreSCO observers note high civic engagement in Russian elections — Deputy Secretary-GeneralMission members visited 47 polling stationsRead moreZelensky will try to close Ukraine's budget deficit via mobilization — Russian diplomatRussian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed to Zelensky's statement regarding the massive budget shortfall and his pledge to fix itRead moreKiev loses about 1,440 troops in special military operation zone in past day — top brassRussian forces launched strikes overnight on logistics centers, warehouses and ports in Ukraine, as well as vessels involved in supporting the Ukrainian militaryRead moreAir defenses intercept all Flamingo missiles heading for Moscow region — Defense MinistryRead moreIran will keep Strait of Hormuz closed until US accepts its terms — parliamentary speakerEarlier, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said that Iranian authorities have conveyed their conditions for ending the war to the US through Qatari mediatorsRead moreTrump makes attempts to resolve conflict in Ukraine — US envoy to UNMike Waltz added that during his upcoming address from the UN General Assembly rostrum, the US president plans to speak about sovereignty, as well as "about the peace deals," both those already attained and in works Read moreLavrov says Russia values friendship with Belize, seeks to develop political dialogueRussia appreciates that interaction between Russia and Belize is based on the principles of trust and non-interference in internal affairs, the Russian foreign minister said Read moreFact-checking is most politicized media area — Foreign Ministry spokeswomanMaria Zakharova called for joining forces to stand up for truth and denounce liesRead morePutin says Russia ready to respond to seizure of ships, calls on West 'to be friends'Vladimir Putin said that Russia had taken note of the European drills in the Baltic Sea, including the practice of seizing civilian vesselsRead moreUnited Russia ahead in Duma election with 71.17% of ballots processedThe party received 57.53% of the voteRead moreMendel proposes to remove Zelensky from power for health reasonsAccording to Zelensky's former press secretary, the head of Kiev regime had "something like an epileptic seizure" a week agoRead moreGuterres-Lavrov meeting set for Thursday — UN chief’s representativeThe Russian foreign minister will travel to New York on September 22Read moreWhite House press pool TV channels refuse to cover events with TrumpUS President Donald Trump previously denied access to the White House to CNN, MS NOW, and PoliticoRead moreRussian forces hit tanker carrying military supplies for Ukrainian troopsThe footage shows a tanker hit by two Geran-4 Seeker drones in the port of Chernomorsk in the Odessa RegionRead moreGeorgia-Russia trade rises by 19.1% in January-AugustRussia ranked third among Georgia’s largest trading partners, accounting for 11.3% of the country’s foreign trade in the first eight months of the yearRead moreTwo civilians killed, 4 others injured as Ukrainian army attacks DPR 31 times in past dayTwo residential houses were damaged in the attacksRead moreEurope injects 45 bln cubic meters of gas into storage for winter, rushes to build stocksEurope has so far managed to inject into underground storage facilities only 67% of the volumes needed for the upcoming winterRead moreBattlegroup North disrupts supplies to surrounded Ukrainian troops in Kharkov areaMore than 200 Ukrainian Baba-Yaga hexacopters have been destroyed since the beginning of September, the head of the Planning and Counter-UAV Operations Department of the 11th Army Corps, with the call sign Karta, saidRead moreUkraine virtually lost its steel industry — FTAccording to the article, strikes damaged blast furnaces at three facilities, including two plants owned by Metinvest and an ArcelorMittal facility in Krivoy RogRead moreRussia’s Battlegroup West destroys HIMARS rocket, 117 Ukrainian UAVs in past dayThe battlegroup’s spokesman added that 56 UAV control centers as well as three satellite communication stations were destroyedRead moreAfD leader says her party aims to open dialogue channel with Russia jointly with US"Both sides have clearly realized that the Alternative for Germany is the only reliable partner left in Germany," Alice Weidel said Read moreAfD clinches victory in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state vote, exit poll showsThe AfD is leading the vote with approximately 37%, followed by the SPD at around 35.5%, and The Left Party at about 7.5%Read moreRussia’s electoral body to announce preliminary results of Duma electionThe event is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. GMT on MondayRead moreUnidentified man splashes wine into Hungarian premier’s face to protest his policiesNo information about this man’s political affiliation has been published so farRead moreFACTBOX: Russian strikes hit logistics center, port infrastructure facilitiesRussian forces carried out overnight drone strikes on Ukrainian logistics centers, warehouses, and ports, as well as vessels used in the interests of the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry reportedRead moreWorld has turned upside down: warmongers are hailed as peacemakers — FicoThe Slovak PM urged to cherish peace, "for it came at such a high price"Read moreUnited Russia wins 49.4% in State Duma elections — exit pollThe Communist Party is garnering 14.2%, the LDPR 10.7%, New People 9.7%, and A Just Russia 6.6%, according to VCIOMRead moreLukashenko congratulates Putin on successful election days — BelTAThe Belarusian president said that the election results convincingly demonstrate the Russian people's commitment to the course charted by Vladimir PutinRead moreTokayev congratulates Putin by phone on successful State Duma election — KremlinThe two leaders reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further dynamic development of comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance between Russia and KazakhstanRead moreBudapest not to allow construction of petroleum product storage for Ukraine — MagyarThe Hungarian PM emphasized that the matter had not progressed beyond the signing of the memorandum of understanding and no other agreements had been signedRead moreShip transit through Strait of Hormuz falls threefold over weekend — ReutersAccording to the report, only 12 vessels passed through the strait over the past weekendRead moreIN BRIEF: Key takeaways from Finance Minister Siluanov speech at Moscow Financial ForumAccording to the minister, Russia has built up an immunity to the US "sanctions from hell"Read moreIMF once again urges Kiev to find its own funds amid another budget shortfallUkraine needs to receive around $52.6 bln from its Western partners next year, but only about $20 bln has been confirmed so faRead moreRussian forces hit Fire Point warehouse storing drone components in Kiev RegionRussian forces carried out overnight strikes with unmanned aerial vehicles on logistics centers, warehouses and ports in UkraineRead moreRussia-Namibia trade falls short of two countries’ potential — senatorElena Perminova noted that an earlier meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission discussed moving toward the joint implementation of specific projects in a number of areas of mutual interestRead moreMayor reports damage at Moscow oil refineryNo casualties were reported, Sergey Sobyanin saidRead moreRussian forces drawing a noose around Ukrainian troops in Kharkov areaEncircled enemy personnel have been struck in the areas of Komissarovo, Krasny Yar, Grachevka, Khripuny, and Buzovo, head of the Battlegroup North press center Vasily Mezhevykh saidRead moreMerz’s CDU loses vote in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania — electoral bodyAccording to a statement by the state election commission, the CDU took a mere 4.9% of the voteRead moreTrump orders triumphal arch converted into military complexUS President stressed that he made the decision "at the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes"Read moreUkraine’s transport minister acknowledges loss of 600 railway locomotivesAccording to Ukraine’s Minister for Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport Nikolay Kalashnik, decision has been made at the Carpathian Eight meeting to establish a "railway coalition"Read moreKazakh president congratulates Putin on successful State Duma electionsKassym-Jomart Tokaev noted that the voting results convincingly testify to broad support for Vladimir Putin’s strategic course aimed at protecting the long-term interests of the Russian stateRead moreChairwoman of Central Election Commission says term "unfriendly countries" is too mildElla Pamfilova said that it is time to come up with a new term for themRead moreWhat we know about foiled terrorist attack on voting day in DonetskA Donetsk citizen established contact with SBU officers and voluntarily agreed to assist them in their terrorist activities, the FSB Public Relations Center saidRead moreKiev to lose much of its foreign currency revenue without steel industry — expertVasily Prozorov noted that claims regarding the total collapse of the Ukraine's steel industry could be exaggeratedRead moreIN BRIEF: Preliminary results of Russian elections, United Russia leads, governors electedAccording to the data from the Central Election Commission, 90.45% of ballots have been counted so farRead moreOver 90% of foreign festival participants want to return to Russia — youth agency chiefAt the same time, the share of those who viewed the country "very positively" increased from 42% to 67%Read moreKiev’s strike on Russian regions becomes largest since start of special military operationAs the Russian Defense Ministry previously emphasized, "the attempt at a massive attack on Moscow failed, the enemy failed to reach its targets"Read moreRussian diplomat sure history will `cancel’ ZelenskyMaria Zakharova commented on Vladimir Zelensky's threats to make the Russian airspace dangerous for passenger flights through the massive use of dronesRead moreInfamous Ukrainian database Mirotvorets doxes two foreign observers at Russian electionsAustrian publicist Flo Osrainik was among the observers in the city of Alchevsk and Serbian politician Miljan Damjanovic - in the city of MariupolRead moreUzbek leader congratulates Putin on successful State Duma elections — KremlinDuring a telephone conversation, the Russian president and his Uzbek counterpart discussed topical issues of the allied relations between the countriesRead moreMoscow to host financial forum on MondayRussian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, government officials, business leaders, public activists, and experts in economics and finance will participate in the eventRead moreIN BRIEF: What we know about AfD, Left Party victories, CDU defeat in Germany’s electionsThe Left Party has won elections to the Berlin House of Representatives for the first time everRead moreKiev loses over 1,340 troops along engagement line in past day — Russia’s top brassThe latest figures show that the Ukrainian army lost up to 245 troops in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup North, more than 210 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup West and some 145 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup SouthRead moreSCO observers find Russian elections credible, democraticPiao Yangfan noted that the State Duma elections complied with the requirements of Russian electoral law and universally accepted international obligationsRead moreRussian stock market declines at start of tradingAccording to trading data as of 9:00 a.m. Moscow time, the MOEX and RTS indices fell by 0.13% to 2,275.15 and 851.21 points, respectivelyRead morePress review: State Duma set to keep five parties while Europe faces record fuel pricesTop stories from the Russian press on Monday, September 21stRead moreZelensky will have to hide for rest of life, Medvedev predicts"The stinking Kiev bastard is trying to derail the settlement of the conflict", Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman saidRead moreDutch businesses cutting ties with ICC for fear of US sanctions — diplomatAccording to a diplomatic source, mostly IT companies are behind the moveRead moreKiev, EU nations indoctrinate youth with neo-Nazism, Russian MFA spokeswoman saysMaria Zakharova added that the situation raises concerns over whether the next generation possesses enough resilience and immunity to combat these narrativesRead moreUnited Russia party leading preliminary vote count with 50% of ballots processedThe Communist Party garnered 13.79% of the vote, the LDPR 8.80%, New People 7.86%, and A Just Russia 5.11%, according to the Russian Central Election CommissionRead moreMore than 600 Russians cast ballots in Duma elections in New York and HoustonThe two polling stations closed at 8:00 p.m. local timeRead moreUkrainian troops retreat from several key fortified positions in Dobropolye, DPR — expertAndrey Marochko said the Russian Armed Forces had expanded their zone of control in the Druzhkovka areaRead moreUAC plans to increase aircraft production by 25-30% in 2026CEO Vadim Badekha noted that while growth in 2025-2026 was driven mainly by military aircraftRead moreThe President's course, West’s failure to discredit Russian vote: Lavrov's statementsThe Foreign Minister said that officials had exposed all Western attempts to portray the parliamentary elections as undemocraticRead moreUkrainian settlement matter of time, US to press on with efforts — VanceThe US Vice President confirmed that US President Donald Trump plans to meet with Vladimir Zelensky later this weekRead moreKremlin comments on Ukrainian attacks during elections, settlement processDmitry Peskov noted that massive Ukrainian attacks during the elections in Russia were aimed at disrupting the voting but failed to have an effectRead more