Trump
Donald Trump is an American politician and businessman who served as the 45th and 47th president of the United States. He won the 2024 presidential election, returning to the White House after his first term from 2017 to 2021. Before entering politics he was known as a real estate developer and the founder of the Trump Organization. His second term has featured a major reorientation of US foreign policy, including on the war in Ukraine and transatlantic relations.
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NATO's top Europe general drafts 'Theory of Victory' for a Russian attack, built on drones and AI
NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grinkevich, is preparing a strategy document titled "Theory of Victory" that sets out how the Alliance would rapidly repel a possible Russian attack on its eastern flank using drones, minimally-crewed systems and artificial intelligence. The document is to be presented in Poland on October 12, and a non-classified version has been obtained by the agency ahead of the unveiling.
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Zelensky says Ukraine ready for trilateral talks with US and Russia by end of October
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine is prepared to join a US-proposed trilateral technical-level meeting with the United States and Russia before the end of October, with the United Arab Emirates or another American-suggested venue under consideration. He made the statement at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv on October 4, a day after confirming Ukraine's readiness to the American negotiating group. Kyiv is now waiting for Moscow's response to the proposal.
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Ukraine says strikes have put over 51% of Russian oil refining capacity out of operation
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence announced on 4 October that long-range strikes by Ukrainian forces have disabled more than 51% of Russia's oil refining capacity. Defence Minister Yevheniy Khmara described the figure as a major blow to Russia's economy and its ability to sustain military operations, and said Ukraine tripled production and procurement of long-range strike drones in 2026 and plans further expansion.
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US-Russia Ukraine talks expand to include multibillion-dollar Lukoil asset deal
US-Russia negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar deal involving international assets of Russian oil company Lukoil. Vladimir Putin raised the issue during a September 5 meeting with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin, proposing it as a way to show Russians they can do business with the United States. The deal, covering oil fields, refineries, and gas stations worldwide, requires approval from both the US government and the Kremlin.
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Zelenskyy: Ukraine will intensify strikes on Russian oil refineries, says FP-9 missile ready this autumn
In a wide-ranging Reuters interview, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine will step up strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to a new Russian aerial campaign, citing intercepted documents that he said point to a Putin-approved "new doctrine" allowing strikes on a broader range of civilian targets ahead of winter. He confirmed first combat use of the domestically produced FP-7 ballistic missile this week and said the longer-range FP-9, which he said can reach Moscow, will be ready this autumn. Zelenskyy also said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Miami in December while urging the United States not to normalize relations with Moscow until peace is restored.
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Ukraine hits Volgograd oil refinery and Samara Transneft hub in overnight drone strikes
On the night of October 2, 2026, Ukrainian drones struck oil infrastructure in Russia's Volgograd and Samara oblasts, hitting the Lukoil-Volgograd oil refinery and the LVDS "Samara" Transneft dispatch station. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed both strikes, and President Volodymyr Zelensky described them as a fair response to Russian escalation. The attacks came despite US pressure on Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil facilities.
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U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund approves over $60 million package, eyes up to $1 billion in third-party capital
The U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund (URIF) has approved its largest investment package to date, directing more than $60 million of its own funds into new projects in energy, critical minerals, and dual-use technologies. The Fund expects the projects to attract up to $1 billion in additional capital from third-party investors. The package was announced one year after the Fund's launch, when Ukraine and the United States each contributed $75 million to an initial $150 million in capital.
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Trump blames Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries for US diesel crisis, floats export ban
On September 30, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries — not the situation in the Middle East — are the main cause of rising US diesel prices. He repeated an earlier call on President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt the strikes and said he is considering a ban on US diesel exports after consulting Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Analysts and other Trump administration officials have pointed to the US war against Iran and shrinking global fuel stocks as additional or competing causes of the deficit.
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Turkey and UN to mediate new Russia–Ukraine Black Sea ceasefire talks in early October
Turkey and the United Nations are organizing a new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on a ceasefire in the Black Sea to protect grain and food exports. Meetings are scheduled for early October, with the Swiss NGO Center for Humanitarian Dialogue acting as mediator. The initiative, launched in September, seeks to recreate the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative and was discussed at a closed meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly attended by officials from Turkey, the US, European countries, India and Egypt.
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Putin tells Valdai forum Ukraine must stay neutral, hints at nuclear use, rejects mutual strike halt
Vladimir Putin used a plenary address at the 23rd Valdai Discussion Club on October 1 to demand that Ukraine remain a neutral state, suggest nuclear weapons will eventually be used, and reject a mutual halt to strikes on ships and Russian oil refineries. He also restated that full control of Donbas and Ukraine's neutral status are conditions for any peace settlement, framed Trump's peace proposals as a "movement in the right direction" despite "difficult" decisions for Russia, and called for UN reform giving greater weight to Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
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Ukraine asks EU to use frozen Russian assets to cover $78 billion 2027 financing gap
Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told a donor meeting in Brussels on 29 September that Ukraine needs roughly $78 billion (about €69 billion) in additional financing for 2027 and called on the European Union to use frozen Russian sovereign assets to cover the gap. EU officials and several member states received the request skeptically, with Belgium opposed to any new use of the assets and the European Commission insisting that the priority is disbursing the already agreed €90 billion loan, whose budget tranche is held up pending Ukrainian reforms.
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Russia extends diesel export ban through end of October amid fuel crisis linked to Ukrainian drone strikes
Russia has extended its ban on diesel fuel exports for producers until October 31, 2026, as a domestic fuel shortage aggravated by Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries continues. The move comes alongside a parallel gasoline export restriction running until January 31, 2027, and a recent decree by President Vladimir Putin classifying information about Russia's fuel and energy complex.
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Four US House lawmakers urge Trump not to ease Russia sanctions, push for "Graham Law"
Four members of the Congressional Ukraine Support Group — Marcy Kaptur, Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Quigley, and Joe Wilson — sent a bipartisan letter to President Donald Trump urging him not to weaken sanctions against Russia and instead to apply the recently signed "Graham Law." The appeal responds to reports that the Trump administration was weighing easing sanctions and restoring economic ties to Moscow in exchange for Russia releasing political prisoners. The letter argues that loosening sanctions would embolden Russia and prolong the war, and calls for swift action to increase economic pressure on Moscow.
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Putin envoy Dmitriev holds "constructive" talks with US officials in Washington on Ukraine war and energy cooperation
Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin's special envoy and head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund RDIF, met US officials in Washington on September 28 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and possible post-war US-Russia energy initiatives. A US official described the talks as "constructive." The visit followed Donald Trump's meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22 and a separate series of meetings between Dmitriev and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
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US signs $20.7 billion preliminary deal with Raytheon to ramp up AMRAAM missile production
The US Department of Defense has reached a preliminary multi-year agreement worth $20.7 billion with Raytheon, a division of RTX, to accelerate production of AMRAAM missiles. The contract is part of a broader Pentagon effort to rebuild munitions stockpiles drawn down by transfers to allies and US military operations.
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Trump signs 'hellish sanctions' law against Russia; Ukraine pushes for full implementation
President Donald Trump signed a U.S. sanctions law — dubbed the "hellish sanctions" — about a week before publication, codifying existing measures against Russia across energy, the shadow fleet, finance, the defense-industrial complex and sanctions circumvention. The law imposes tariffs of up to 500% on Russian goods and up to 100% on goods from third countries that buy significant volumes of Russian oil or gas, and sets an 18 October deadline for the administration to act. Ukraine, which has already submitted detailed proposals including lists of traders, tankers, captains and intermediaries, is engaging Congress to press the White House toward full implementation.
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Poland offers to host Patriot missile production for Ukraine, citing safety of its own territory
Poland has offered to host on its territory the production of interceptor missiles for U.S. Patriot air-defense systems intended for Ukraine, if Washington grants Kyiv the relevant license. The proposal was made by Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Magdalena Sobków-Czarniecka in a TVN24 interview, and was framed as a response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's 25 September claim that U.S. President Donald Trump has made a "final decision" to license Ukrainian Patriot production. Poland simultaneously confirmed it is negotiating with the U.S. on a permanent American military base, expected to accommodate around 5,000 troops and their families.
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Budanov: Ukraine needs expanded Starlink access and Patriot interceptors to counter Russian missile strikes
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, said in an interview with Newsforce that Ukraine urgently needs expanded access to Starlink and Starshield satellite communications as well as interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems, in order to counter and strike Russian missile systems. A fragment of the interview was published on Budanov's Telegram channel on Sunday, 27 September.
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Several detained near US Fairford airbase in UK on suspicion of explosives offences
Several people were detained in the UK on 27 September near the US Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act. Residents of the nearby village of Welford were evacuated, and a military bomb disposal unit was deployed to examine vehicles. US President Donald Trump said the suspects had been under surveillance for an extended period and had planned to cause major harm to the airbase, but authorities have not confirmed any link to Iran.
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Trump pushes for Ukraine-Russia deal before winter; Zelenskyy says Putin shows no intent to end war
After a September 22 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, US President Donald Trump said on September 26 he expects Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin to "make a deal before the difficult winter." In an evening address the same day, Zelenskyy countered that Putin is not planning to end the war and keeps finding excuses to avoid meetings and a trilateral format.