Pavlo Bashynskyi
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will arrive in Washington on October 21 for an unannounced visit. This comes amid Donald Trump's diplomatic attempts to end the war in Ukraine, despite the cancellation of the Trump-Putin summit in Hungary.
About 40 people's deputies continue to consider amendments to the draft law "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2026". So far, about 50 amendments out of more than 3,000 submitted have been considered, which did not receive the required number of votes due to the lack of a majority.
US Vice President J. D. Vance stated that the Gaza ceasefire, which began on October 10, is progressing better than he had anticipated after two years of war between Israel and Hamas. Trump administration envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, confirmed that the metrics are exceeding expectations.
US President Donald Trump claims to have ended eight wars, while George Washington and Abraham Lincoln did not. He also noted that a ninth war is nearing its end.
European countries, together with Ukraine, are developing a 12-point plan to end the war, which includes a cessation of hostilities, an exchange of prisoners, and the return of deported children. The implementation of the plan will be monitored by a peace council chaired by Donald Trump, and Ukraine will receive security guarantees and a path to the EU.
A group of people's deputies has registered a draft law proposing to restore the penalty point system for drivers for traffic violations, which was abolished in 2020. Drivers will receive 1 to 5 points for violations, and accumulating 15 points (10 for new drivers) will lead to a temporary suspension of their license.
On the night of October 21, railway tracks on the Pskov-St. Petersburg section, used for military logistics, were blown up. The explosion caused a partial fire in a freight train and stopped railway traffic, which will negatively affect the supply of the Russian occupation army.
The "Contract 18-24" program has now been extended to all combat units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Anyone aged 18-24 can choose any brigade to sign a one-year contract.
The Kyiv Court of Appeal extended Oleksandr Khilyk's pre-trial detention until December 1 with the possibility of bail set at UAH 5 million.
Instead of Anna Kolisnyk, Dmytro Slynko is expected to join the "Servant of the People" faction and the Verkhovna Rada.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted a draft law on increasing the financial provision of the security and defense sector by almost 350 billion hryvnias. Amendments to the State Budget-2025 provide for an increase in financing by 324.7 billion hryvnias, including 301.2 billion for the Ministry of Defense.
Dynamo Stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi will now be able to host 4333 fans instead of 1800. This became possible due to additional security measures and the expansion of the shelter area.
The Russian army struck an energy facility in Slavutych, Kyiv region. Specialists are working to eliminate the accident and restore power supply, the water utility will switch to backup power.
The Cabinet of Ministers submitted draft law No. 14120 to the Verkhovna Rada, which provides for the exclusion of the Russian and Moldovan languages from the list of those protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Instead, it is proposed to add the Czech language and Hebrew.
Donald Trump stated that he discussed attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine with Vladimir Putin. According to him, most of those killed in Ukraine are soldiers, not civilians.
The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court satisfied the SAP prosecutor's appeal, granting permission for a special pre-trial investigation against former MP Heorhiy Logvynskyi. He is suspected of organizing a scheme under which the company "Golden Mandarin" received UAH 54 million from the state budget.
Scandalous newcomer of Kyiv "Dynamo" Vladyslav Blenutse received gratitude from the Command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for supporting territorial defense. Earlier, the football player transferred 700 thousand hryvnias to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, responsible for preparing the summit, held a constructive discussion of the agreements. The meeting took place on October 16 to prepare for a possible summit between the leaders.
The bill on the legalization of the virtual assets market in Ukraine has received 2,500 amendments, which delays its consideration and voting in the second reading. It is currently not determined who will be the regulator – the NBU or the NSSMC.
Law enforcement officers notified Hryhoriy Didenko, head of the Odesa Regional Council, and his wife Yulia Didenko of suspicion. They failed to include information about property worth over 8 million hryvnias in their declarations for 2021–2023, including apartments and two Audi SQ8s.
The Verkhovna Rada plans to consider a draft resolution on the appointment of Tetiana Berezhna as Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy of Ukraine – Minister of Culture of Ukraine on October 21. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko submitted the proposal, and the committee recommended her appointment.
Today, October 19, marks LGBT Center Awareness Day, All-Ukrainian Human Responsibility Day, and Food Industry Workers' Day. Also on this day, World Humanitarian Action Day and International Gin and Tonic Day are celebrated.
English club Nottingham Forest sacked head coach Ange Postecoglou after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. Under his leadership, the team played 8 matches without a single victory.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, stated that a meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest could be the beginning of the end of the Kremlin leader's illusions about an empire. This will happen if the Russian dictator recognizes reality after Trump's negotiations with Zelenskyy.
The Cabinet of Ministers adopted decisions on the protection of critical infrastructure, including the creation of the Coordination Center for Engineering Protection. The government allocated funds from the reserve fund for the protection and restoration of infrastructure in frontline regions and Ukrzaliznytsia.
The International Monetary Fund is pressuring the National Bank of Ukraine to devalue the hryvnia, which could strengthen the country's finances. NBU officials resist, citing risks to inflation and public sentiment.
Damage from the Alaska storm is so severe that many of the 2,000 evacuees will not return home for at least 18 months. In Kipnuk, one of the hardest-hit villages, 90% of homes have been destroyed.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Europe's solidarity with Ukraine against Russian aggression is more important than ever before. This became clear after President Zelenskyy's negotiations at the White House and with European leaders.
Zelensky's meeting with Trump in Washington was "not easy," and some European leaders were surprised by Trump's change of mind. This happened after his long conversation with Russian dictator Putin.
Parliamentarians have submitted proposals for the 2026 State Budget, which include salary increases for military personnel and teachers, as well as funds for demining and the reconstruction of a hospital in the Kharkiv region. Draft resolution No. 14000/P has appeared on the parliament's website.