Topic: Peace talks
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Putin proposes Trump–Xi trilateral on Ukraine; Kyiv and Europe excluded
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss ending the war in Ukraine on terms favourable to Moscow, with the Kremlin suggesting the APEC summit in Shenzhen as a venue. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed discussions are under way but said there is no clear understanding yet of the meeting or its agenda, while an unnamed US official told The Wall Street Journal that Trump has not yet agreed to participate. The proposed format does not include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a fact WSJ described as unprecedented and likely to alarm European capitals.
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Trump lifts Russia energy sanctions, oil prices fall and energy ceasefire with Ukraine announced
On October 19, oil prices dropped after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order lifting sanctions and tariffs against Russia and rescinding pending enhanced sanctions under the Graham Act. Brent crude fell 1.80% to $107.88 per barrel and WTI dropped 1.14% to $100.25. Trump simultaneously announced a Ukraine–Russia energy ceasefire covering strikes on oil refineries, though Ukraine said attacks on its own energy infrastructure continue.
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Russia hits Ukrainian energy grid in 16-missile, 200-drone overnight barrage
Russia struck energy infrastructure across at least eleven Ukrainian oblasts overnight into Monday, October 19, using 16 ballistic missiles and more than 200 drones. Ukrainian air defense intercepted four missiles and 243 drones. President Zelensky said more than ten energy facilities were damaged and at least 550,000 families lost power. Civilian sites including a medical clinic, a school, a metro station, and residential buildings were hit; casualties were reported in Kyiv and elsewhere.
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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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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 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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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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Russia launches massive combined missile and drone attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in 10 oblasts
In the night of October 17, Russia struck energy infrastructure across 10 Ukrainian oblasts with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and 332 strike drones, one of the largest composite attacks recorded. Air defense intercepted 293 aerial targets, but direct hits were recorded at 22 locations. President Zelensky said more than 15 power generation and transmission facilities were hit and characterized the attack as a deliberate attempt to cause a nationwide blackout.
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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.
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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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Russia launches massive new campaign of strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities
On 16 October, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov publicly reported to Vladimir Putin that Russia had begun a dedicated campaign of massive strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Overnight into 17 October, Russian forces hit energy facilities in 10 oblasts, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying more than 15 power generation and transmission sites were damaged in one of the largest such strikes on record.
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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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US proposed handing frozen Russian assets to Washington-controlled vehicle; Europeans reject plan
The United States proposed to European allies that part of roughly €260 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets be unfrozen and transferred to a financial structure under US control, to revive peace talks on Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on 15 October. European delegates rejected the idea, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly insisted the assets remain frozen in Europe with Europeans deciding their fate. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had no information about the proposal.
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Zelensky says he will not resign, calls it 'my responsibility'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Piers Morgan that he has no intention of resigning, calling the question of his replacement a decision for the Ukrainian people rather than for Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or anyone else. He said holding elections is impossible under wartime conditions, even as a source close to him dismissed reports that Kyiv was considering capitulation.
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Zelensky and Magyar hold first face-to-face meeting in Brussels, signalling reset in Hungary–Ukraine relations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar met behind closed doors in Brussels on 16 October, on the sidelines of an EU leaders' summit. It was their first official bilateral meeting since Magyar took office. The talks came after Ukraine adopted an education law for national minorities and Hungary lifted its objections to opening two EU accession negotiating clusters for Ukraine.
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Russia hits Kyiv energy grid with 39 ballistic missiles and 128 drones, knocking out power for 600,000
Russia launched a massive combined strike on Ukraine overnight on 13–14 October, using 39 ballistic missiles and 128 strike drones against energy and critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast and Kharkiv. President Zelensky said at least 600,000 people were left without electricity and that the main target of the Kyiv attack was the TEC-4 combined heat and power plant, which sustained direct hits. Three people were killed in Kyiv, more than 20 were injured, and the attack came days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine.
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Fire at Lutsk oil depot after Russian drone strike extinguished before dawn
A fire broke out at an oil depot in Lutsk in the night of October 14 after a Russian jet-type drone struck the site. Ukrainian rescuers put out the blaze at 4:38 a.m., about two and a half hours after ignition. The information was reported by Andrii Razumovsky, secretary of the Lutsk city council, who urged residents to take shelter during air raid alerts.
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Turkey pushes for Black Sea ceasefire to protect civilian shipping, NATO envoy says
Turkey is working with both Ukraine and Russia to negotiate a temporary partial ceasefire in the Black Sea aimed at protecting civilian cargo ships, Turkey's permanent representative to NATO, Ambassador Basat Öztürk, said at the Turkey–EU business summit in Brussels. Öztürk warned that strikes on commercial vessels threaten energy, food and fertilizer supplies, and pointed to the Black Sea Grain Initiative as a model Turkey could repeat.
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Le Pen tells FT she would cut EU budget and end French aid to Kyiv if elected
In an interview with the Financial Times, Marine Le Pen said that if she wins France's 2027 presidential election she would sharply reduce the EU budget and Brussels' powers, withhold French support for EU funding for Ukraine, and halt bilateral French aid to Kyiv outside limited military training and operational support. She also confirmed her opposition to Ukraine's EU membership and called for a "great peace conference" to reach a diplomatic settlement of the war. Le Pen currently leads French presidential polls by a significant margin.
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Syrskyi in first major interview since dismissal: Ukraine's war outcome uncertain, Kursk operation a success
Former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, dismissed by President Zelenskyy in July, gave his first major interview to the BBC in which he said it is impossible to say with certainty whether Ukraine is winning or losing the war, defended the 2024 Kursk operation as a successful and necessary maneuver, and detailed his procurement-related disagreements with former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. He denied issuing any ultimatum to Fedorov and said the decision to remove him rested solely with the president. The interview was published on 13 October 2026.