European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that Montenegro is the most advanced candidate for EU membership. This year, Montenegro, Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine have demonstrated significant progress in reforms.
President Zelenskyy and government officials reacted to the European Commission's report, calling it the best assessment result to date. Ukraine is confidently moving towards EU membership and is ready to open negotiation clusters.
The European Commission presented its annual Enlargement Package, noting Ukraine's progress in key reforms and the fulfillment of conditions for opening negotiation clusters. The Commission believes that to achieve Ukraine's ambitious goal of accession by the end of 2028, an acceleration of the pace of reforms is necessary, especially regarding the rule of law.
The heating season in Ukraine began on October 15 for the social sector and on October 28 for private households. The government allocated over UAH 1.5 billion to protect energy facilities and provided EUR 1.36 billion for gas procurement to prepare for winter.
The EU Council has approved the fifth tranche of 1. 8 billion euros within the framework of the Ukraine Facility program. This is aimed at strengthening Ukraine's financial stability and supporting the functioning of its public administration.
In the first 10 months of this year, Russia launched over 44,000 Shahed drones against Ukraine, which is four times more than in the entire year 2024. About 64% of these drones were destroyed, indicating the strain on Ukraine's air defense.
Poland plans to start creating a national anti-drone system to plug gaps in the country's defense.
German Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil called for a complete ban on Russian steel imports, including steel billets processed in the EU. He emphasized the need to strengthen European patriotism and support domestic steel production.
The European Commission noted Ukraine's "exceptional determination" on its path to the EU, but called for accelerating reforms in the judicial sphere and strengthening anti-corruption measures. The report emphasizes the need to overcome pressure on anti-corruption bodies and ensure their independence.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced the 12th package of military aid for Ukraine, which will be presented in the near future. Italy has already provided 11 aid packages worth up to 3 billion euros, including SAMP/T systems.
Ukraine lacks $750 million out of the $2 billion needed for gas imports. The European Union will allocate about 127 million euros in additional support to Ukraine for gas purchases.
President Zelenskyy held a conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding Ukraine's progress towards EU membership. Energy support for Ukraine and coordination of efforts to increase it were also discussed.
Viktor Orban will meet with Donald Trump on November 7 in Washington to discuss energy issues. Hungary proposes to deepen cooperation with the US in nuclear energy, recognizing the impossibility of a rapid rejection of Russian oil and gas.
Chinese refineries are reducing purchases of Russian oil due to sanctions from the US and its allies. This applies to both state-owned giants and private firms, leading to a drop in ESPO prices.
All Polish border crossing points bordering Ukraine within the Lviv region operate under the EES system. The exception remains "Dołhobyczów-Uhryniv", which will start operating on November 4.
On November 4, a "EU enlargement summit" will be held in Brussels with the participation of leaders of candidate countries, including Ukraine. The future of European integration will be discussed live at the event.
The European Commission will publish its annual report on candidate countries for EU membership on November 4. Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro, and Albania, according to media reports, received mostly positive assessments.
In October 2025, Lithuania recorded 275 attempts of illegal border crossing from Belarus, almost half of which occurred in the last five days of the month. This is a record for the last six months, which happened after the closure of checkpoints due to drone cigarette smuggling.
The head of the State Aviation Service, Oleksandr Bilchuk, transferred the maintenance of repair documentation for Ukrainian helicopters to AAL Group Ltd, a company with ties to the Russian defense-industrial complex. Despite Rostec certificates and a ban on cooperation from the United States, the company still has access to sensitive technical information.
IMF support for Ukraine depends on the EU's decision regarding a multi-billion dollar loan secured by frozen Russian assets. Belgium's refusal could lead to a blockade of IMF funding, which amounted to $8 billion.
US President Donald Trump stated that he is not participating in discussions regarding frozen Russian assets. According to him, Europe and Russia are negotiating on this issue.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that the country's warehouses are overflowing with ammunition, which it is ready to sell to European countries. He noted that buyers can do whatever they want with the ammunition, even if it eventually reaches Ukraine.
Turkey's largest refineries are buying more non-Russian oil due to the latest Western sanctions against Russia. SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR) has purchased four cargoes of crude oil from non-Russian sources, while Tupras is increasing its purchases of non-Russian grades.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the provision of 100% of funds for gas imports. Ukraine is counting on EU support and is negotiating with Norway and other European countries.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu called on the EU to ensure clarity and interest in the country's European integration process. This is necessary to prevent Moldova's accession from being stalled due to Hungary blocking accession talks with Ukraine.
November 1 marks World Ecology Day, Zero Meridian Day, International Aromatic Candle Day, and the birthday of the European Union. Western Rite Christians celebrate All Saints' Day.
Russian special services use propaganda and social networks to recruit vulnerable groups, similar to the terrorist group ISIS. The Kremlin mobilizes marginalized individuals, offering them ideologically attractive messages to destabilize society.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Brussels to meet with EU foreign policy and intelligence officials. The purpose of the visit was to reaffirm Washington's commitment to intelligence sharing amid European concerns about US foreign policy.
The National Assembly of Bulgaria approved a bill to suspend the export of oil products to European Union member states. This decision is motivated by the need to ensure the country's energy security and the stability of the domestic fuel market.
American actor Harrison Ford criticized US President Donald Trump for his attacks on measures to address the climate crisis, calling him one of the worst criminals in history. Ford stated that Trump's policy aimed at dismantling climate initiatives scares him to death.
