Sanctions

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.

Trump will host Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the White House. This is the first official visit of a Syrian president to the United States in 25 years, marking a new stage in relations between Washington and Damascus.

OPEC+ is preparing to approve a small increase in oil production in December, in line with its strategy of gradually restoring volumes. The decision will be made at an online meeting on Sunday, despite falling oil prices and sanctions against Russian companies.

Nexperia's China unit says it has "sufficient stock" after its parent company in Nijmegen, Netherlands, halted supplies. Nexperia's China unit is already looking for new suppliers of wafers – the raw material for chips.

A Russian military transport aircraft Il-76 landed in Caracas, Venezuela, after a journey from Russia. This aircraft can carry up to 50 tons of cargo and belongs to Aviacon Zitotrans, a company under sanctions.

The Russian Federation has imposed economic sanctions against representatives of the Ukrainian government, including Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Head of the Ministry of Finance Serhiy Marchenko, Advisor to the Minister of Defense Oleksandr Kubrakov, and Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev. The reasons for these measures have not been reported.

Lego has confirmed that its construction sets are being sold in Russia bypassing sanctions, despite the cessation of supplies in March 2022. The company has tightened control over resale and is working with retailers to prevent such cases.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has apologized to US President Donald Trump for an anti-tariff advertisement that used a quote from Ronald Reagan. The ad, funded by the province of Ontario, led to a suspension of trade talks and Trump's threat to impose additional 10% tariffs on Canadian imports.

Bulgaria is considering requesting an exemption from new US sanctions against Russian oil company Lukoil due to fears of fuel shortages. The sanctions could lead to the shutdown of the Burgas refinery, which supplies up to 80% of the country's fuel.

Russia is intensifying its information influence in Nigeria through the African Initiative agency, using tactics honed in other African countries. The goal is to delegitimize state institutions ahead of the 2027 elections and foster anti-Western sentiment.

US President Donald Trump announced that there are no plans to resume trade talks with Canada. This happened after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney apologized for a political advertisement in Ontario.

Canada has filed a lawsuit to confiscate a Russian An-124 aircraft, which has been at Toronto airport since February 2022. If the court proceedings are successfully completed, the aircraft will be transferred to Ukraine.

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.

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Russian shelling of Ukrainian NPP substations could not have happened without the involvement of Rosatom specialists. The IAEA confirmed damage to substations that ensure the safe operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Since the beginning of the year, Ukrainian forces have carried out over 160 attacks on the enemy's fuel infrastructure. Hundreds of operations have also been conducted against the Russian war machine.

US President Donald Trump denied Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban relief from sanctions against Russian oil. Orban requested an exemption from the sanctions, but Trump did not grant the waiver.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has appealed to Russia, China, and Iran for assistance in strengthening the country's military capabilities. He is requesting defensive radars, aircraft repairs, and possibly missiles, amid a potential conflict with the United States.

The Pentagon has approved providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, believing it will not affect American stockpiles. However, the final decision rests with President Donald Trump, who is hesitant due to the potential impact on relations with the US and Russia.

The 106-meter superyacht Amadea, which belonged to sanctioned oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, was sold at auction on September 10. The new owner is the family of billionaire Hussain Sajwani, a business partner of US President Donald Trump.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed decrees on imposing sanctions. The restrictions apply to 14 pro-Russian propagandists and 10 individuals and 31 legal entities that support the Russian military-industrial complex.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced that the 19th package of sanctions will lead to a loss of up to $20 billion for the Russian state budget. This will reduce budget revenues that finance the war.

"Lithuanian Railways" (LTG) is halting the transportation of Lukoil oil products due to sanctions imposed by the US and Great Britain. Last year, LTG transported about 345,000 tons of this Russian manufacturer's products to Kaliningrad.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the main directions of further sanctions work against Russia after a meeting with the heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the SBU, and the Foreign Intelligence Service. He instructed to rectify the absence of sanctions against Russian enterprises involved in weapons production and to work more actively with international partners to synchronize sanctions.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia's shadow fleet numbers more than 1,500 vessels, of which 340 are key, and 65 require immediate sanctions. Canada, Britain, Australia, Japan, and the EU are helping with this by reducing imports from the Russian Federation.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will try next week to persuade US President Donald Trump to grant Hungary an exemption from sanctions on Russian oil. Landlocked Hungary claims there are no viable alternatives to Russian oil.

The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is organizing a closed summit of the "Coalition of the Willing" on November 4 to discuss further assistance to Ukraine. The meeting, at the level of Director Generals from 35 countries, will focus on increasing support and security guarantees.

Dmitry Peskov commented on reports of the cancellation of the meeting between Putin and Trump in Budapest on October 31. He urged to "focus on official wordings, not on media assessments."

Indian Oil Corp. , India's largest refiner, purchased five cargoes of Russian oil for December delivery from companies not subject to sanctions. This happened after the company canceled seven to eight cargoes of Russian oil due to recent US sanctions.

Brent and WTI crude oil prices fell by 0. 55% and 0.71% respectively, heading for their third monthly decline. A strengthening dollar and a slowdown in manufacturing activity in China affected the market, while increased supply from OPEC+ and the US offset the impact of sanctions.

Following the truce between the Chinese and American leaders, the heads of the defense ministries, Pete Hagset and Dong Jun, held a meeting.