Topic: Diplomacy
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Trump says Russia and China behaving 'acceptably' on Ukraine, suggests Zelensky step aside from talks
On October 19, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that Russia is behaving "normally" and that Xi Jinping has been "very fair" toward Ukraine. He suggested it is time for someone other than President Volodymyr Zelensky to lead negotiations with Russia, accused Zelensky of prolonging the war, and said Ukraine has given the U.S. "nothing" in return for aid. His remarks came as Russia struck a park in Kharkiv Oblast with a drone, killing six people including two children, and after a ballistic-missile attack on Kyiv the night before.
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EU confirms €30 billion for Ukraine in 2026, flags €70 billion shortfall for 2027
The European Commission said Ukraine could receive around €30 billion from the EU by the end of 2026 if it continues implementing the agreed reforms, with most of the sum coming from the Ukraine support loan. At the same time, officials acknowledged a €70 billion financing gap in Ukraine's 2027 budget that must be covered with international partners, and the European Council has tasked the Commission with preparing proposals to close it.
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Ukraine's EU deputy PM says relations with Hungary have 'turned the page' after Zelensky-Magyar meeting
In his first interview in Brussels after the EU summit, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Vsevolod Chentsov said Ukraine and Hungary have "turned the page" in their relationship, ending a period when Hungary created obstacles on Ukraine's path to the EU. He spoke after President Volodymyr Zelensky met Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar on October 16 and after Chentsov and Andriy Sybiha held a separate meeting with Anita Orbán, with both sides framing the encounter as the start of a bilateral reset.
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Poland scrambles jets twice in one day as Russia strikes Kyiv, killing one
Poland's Government Centre for Security (RCB) announced via X that Russian air strikes on Ukrainian territory had prompted military aircraft to operate in Polish airspace, with alerts issued in the Podkarpackie and Lublin voivodeships, which border Ukraine. The alerts were later lifted and no violations of Polish airspace were recorded. Overnight strikes on Kyiv killed one person and damaged residential buildings, a school, a medical facility, a supermarket, two filling stations and other civilian sites. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the capital received no advance warning from partners before the attacks.
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Putin proposes Trump-Putin-Xi summit in China on Ukraine war, without Zelensky
Vladimir Putin has proposed a three-way meeting with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18–19 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine on terms favorable to Moscow, The Wall Street Journal reported. The proposed format would exclude Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the idea is being discussed but said no agenda has been agreed. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 19 that talks about the meeting have taken place but no final decision has been made, and Trump has not yet agreed to attend. Ukraine's foreign minister sharply criticized the proposal.
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Zelensky speaks with Trump's envoys Witkoff and Kushner on air defence and diplomacy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by phone on Sunday, 18 October, with US President Donald Trump's representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The two sides discussed the results of a recent Ukrainian-US meeting in Florida, ongoing Russian shelling, air defence cooperation, and next steps in diplomacy. Zelensky announced the call via social media and said Ukraine remains ready to work constructively for a real result.
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Zelensky says US has resumed sharing intelligence with Ukraine after a three-day pause
In an interview broadcast on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, October 18, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States has resumed sharing intelligence with Ukraine after it was blocked for "a certain period of time." According to Zelensky's office, the pause lasted three days and coincided with Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure on October 12 and the night of October 14. Zelensky also said he hopes negotiations with Washington can take place during the same week, and warned that US alignment with Russia would be "a historic mistake and a great tragedy."
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Zelensky: Russia struck Ukrainian energy infrastructure 76 times since Trump's 'energy ceasefire' announcement
President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on October 18 that Russia has deliberately attacked Ukrainian energy and oil-and-gas infrastructure 76 times since U.S. President Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" on October 11. Overnight strikes on substations in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa oblasts left tens of thousands of households without electricity, and Zelensky said the weekly strike tally included nearly 2,700 drones, 1,700 aerial bombs and 66 missiles, most of them ballistic.
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Ukraine reports Starlink connectivity loss for military drones; Zelensky calls it a "planned special operation"
On 14 October, Ukrainian military drones equipped with Starlink terminals lost connectivity, with the slowdown lasting roughly a day and effects lingering into 17 October. The incident occurred while US President Donald Trump was threatening to halt intelligence sharing over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking in Brussels on 17 October, said connectivity had not fully recovered and described the episode as a "planned special operation." Both Trump and SpaceX owner Elon Musk denied involvement in any throttling.
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Trump suspends Russia sanctions under Graham Law, agrees Russian diesel deal, in sharp break with Zelensky
On October 16, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the implementation of sanctions and tariffs against Russia under the bipartisan Graham Law (HR 5334), just two days before they were due to take effect. The move came a week after Trump agreed during a phone call with Vladimir Putin to import hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel fuel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the 60-day review and rejected criticism that easing sanctions was a "gift" to Putin. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that if the United States sides with Russia, Ukraine "will not be able to win and will not be able to survive," and said the sanctions suspension is a continuation of Trump's "diesel deal" with Moscow. The decision drew rare bipartisan criticism, including from Republican Senators John Cornyn, Thom Tillis, Ted Cruz, Kevin Cramer and Dave McCormick, as well as Democrats. Separately, SpaceX unilaterally restricted the Starshield terminals that Ukraine's military relies on, and US officials warned Ukraine that intelligence sharing and arms supplies could be reduced.
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SpaceX unilaterally imposed speed limit on Starshield terminals in Ukraine on October 14, sparking dispute with the Trump administration
On the night of October 14, SpaceX unilaterally imposed a speed cap of approximately 160–161 km/h on Starshield military satellite terminals used by Ukraine, without prior warning. The restriction has disabled Ukrainian drone-interceptors designed to chase Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, and prompted a dispute over who ordered it: Ukraine's President Zelensky called the measure a "planned operation" after testing Starlink in EU countries at 180+ km/h without limits, while the White House, Elon Musk, Secretary of State Rubio and President Trump all denied involvement.
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Coalition of the Willing to rehearse Ukraine peacekeeping in Poland in November
Military exercises of the "Coalition of the Willing" will take place in Poland in November, rehearsing the deployment of European troops in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal with Russia. British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced the drills after his first meeting with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on 15 October. At least 1,500 personnel from the UK, France and Germany will take part, alongside Polish forces.
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Austrian chancellor calls for "transparent" explanation of Ukraine's budget deficit figures
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said he is "surprised" by the range of conflicting figures being cited about Ukraine's financing and called for the causes of Ukraine's budget deficit to be "transparently explained." His remarks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a European Council meeting the war will cost €155 billion next year and Ukraine needs at least €70 billion more in EU defense aid, while the European Commission says Ukraine has no budget deficit for 2026. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky cited specific 2027 financing needs and attributed the gap to rising war costs and unmet partner commitments.
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Trump suspends Russia sanctions under "Graham Law" days before they were to take effect
President Donald Trump on October 16, 2026 signed an executive order suspending the application of sanctions, restrictions, and tariffs against Russia that had been due to take effect on October 18 under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. Using a waiver provision in the law, Trump certified to Congress that the suspension serves the national interests of the United States. The order keeps the new measures formally on the books but does not apply them for now, while previously imposed US sanctions against Russia remain in force. Critics including the law's co-author Senator Richard Blumenthal and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the move; Russia's Kirill Dmitriev welcomed it as a "truly historic moment."
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Ukraine anti-corruption agencies complete investigation into ex-justice minister Stefanishyna
NABU and SAPO have finished the pre-trial investigation into former Vice Prime Minister and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who is suspected of illicit enrichment of more than UAH 13.9 million and of filing false declarations. The case file has been opened to her defense for review, after which court hearings are expected to begin. The case centers on two Kyiv apartments worth nearly UAH 11 million, an undeclared apartment in the Lvivska Ploshcha complex, and an undeclared Mercedes-Benz.
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Babiš blasts Trump's diesel deal with Putin as 'slap' to Europe at EU summit in Brussels
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at an EU leaders' summit in Brussels on 16 October 2026, where Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš publicly criticised Donald Trump's diesel agreement with Vladimir Putin, calling it a 'slap' to Europe. Zelensky told journalists in Brussels that Putin does not want real peace talks and warned that concessions on Russian diesel could be followed by gas deals and sanctions relief. The summit comes amid reports that Trump has shifted from mediator to a party doing deals with Moscow, and that Washington has pressured Kyiv over strikes on Russian oil refineries.
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European leaders brace for Trump siding with Moscow as energy sanctions are rolled back
European leaders gathering at an EU summit in Brussels this week are bracing for a scenario in which US President Donald Trump effectively sides with Moscow after a week of steps that rolled back years of US energy sanctions on Russia, pressured Kyiv to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries, and publicly questioned the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters in Brussels that "the Western alliance is now in a weaker position than it was a few days ago," and several EU leaders privately said Trump is inclined to attack Kyiv and back Moscow, and is unlikely to change. Zelenskyy has said he feels betrayed and publicly criticised Trump. Despite the friction, the US continues to sell weapons and share intelligence with Ukraine.
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Zelensky invited to Budapest for 70th anniversary of Hungarian Revolution as Ukraine-Hungary ties thaw
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been invited to visit Budapest next week to attend events marking the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution on 23 October, Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in an interview with Euronews. The invitation comes as Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar prepare for their first official bilateral meeting on Friday on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels, following Ukraine's 12 October education-law amendments that cleared Hungary to lift its objections to two EU accession clusters.
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US ordered Starlink restrictions for Ukraine, Reuters reports; Trump denies involvement
In the night of October 13–14, SpaceX unilaterally imposed speed restrictions on Starshield satellite terminals used by Ukrainian forces, cutting off connectivity above roughly 160 km/h during a major Russian attack. Reuters, citing two US officials and one Western official, reports the order came from the White House, while The Telegraph says Elon Musk proposed the idea and Donald Trump agreed. Trump publicly denied both his own and Musk's involvement. By October 15 the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said operation in motion had been restored, though President Zelensky said the previous speeds had not returned and the cap was being lifted only gradually.
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Trump says Zelensky is 'not the person' the US should be dealing with, calls Ukrainian refinery strikes 'a disgrace'
In a Newsmax interview published on October 15, US President Donald Trump publicly broke with Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he is "not a big fan" of the Ukrainian president and that Zelensky "is not the person we should be dealing with." Trump said it is harder to negotiate with Zelensky than with Vladimir Putin, demanded Ukraine halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, called such strikes "a disgrace," and repeated his call for Ukrainian elections. Zelensky responded in Brussels the following day, saying he finds it easier to deal with Trump than with Putin and that Ukraine is ready to hold elections if Russia accepts a 60-day ceasefire.