Vladimir Putin
26 EU member states have committed to joining the creation of a Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This brings closer the start of the tribunal's work, which will investigate crimes of aggression.
EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas stated that Russia is not interested in peace and called for increased pressure on Russia. This week, the EU plans to adopt the 19th package of sanctions and use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's defense.
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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to London to attend a meeting of the coalition of the willing, co-chaired by Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Friedrich Merz. The coalition aims to unite countries to protect the peace agreement in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a conversation with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. He announced numerous meetings and negotiations in Europe this week.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plan to meet on October 23. The meeting is intended to agree on the terms of a future summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, announced informational chaos before the Rubio-Lavrov conversation and Trump's meeting with Putin. He recommends evaluating the parties' actions, not their remarks or anonymous leaks.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Putin influences the US with large economic proposals, using Russia's resources as private property. President Trump seeks a quick end to the war, while Putin aims for a complete occupation of Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin needs Donbas within its administrative borders to show victory in the war, but does not plan to develop the region. Zelenskyy is convinced that Russia will not stop the war and will attack again in a few years, and much depends on the US position.
Ukraine buys weapons from the US under the PURL program, which is open to all countries. Involving as many states as possible in it is one of the most important tasks, President Zelenskyy emphasized.
EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas commented on Trump's upcoming meeting with Putin in Budapest. She emphasized the importance of Zelenskyy's meeting with Putin to discuss ending the war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine has approached a possible end to the war, but this does not guarantee its swift conclusion. He noted that Donald Trump, on the wave of success in the Middle East, expresses a desire to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russians' position on Donbas has not changed: they demand that Ukraine cede the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Zelenskyy emphasized that the so-called "referendum" was illegal, and Russia's demands are far from reality.
EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas commented on the Financial Times article, which states that Donald Trump called on Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Putin's terms. Kallas emphasized the resilience of Ukrainians and the negative consequences for the international order if the aggressor achieves its goals.
The President of Ukraine stated that his American counterpart seeks an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war, and Trump's message to stop at the line of contact is, in the opinion of the head of state, positive. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not consider Budapest the best platform for US-Russia negotiations.
Brent crude futures fell to $61. 05 a barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate crude to $57.3. This decline marks the third consecutive weekly drop, driven by concerns about a global supply surplus and slowing economic growth due to US-China trade tensions.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in November in Budapest. Active diplomatic preparations are underway for the summit, where ways to end the war in Ukraine will be discussed.
Donald Trump stated that he never discussed with Volodymyr Zelenskyy the possible transfer of Donbas to Russia. The US President believes that the parties should stop at the current lines and return home.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that President Zelenskyy should not be pressured regarding territorial concessions, but instead, Russia should be pressured to end its aggression. This was his response to Donald Trump's calls for Ukraine to accept Moscow's terms.
On October 17, Donald Trump urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy to agree to Moscow's terms to end the war, citing Putin's threats to "destroy" Ukraine. Trump insisted on handing over control of Donbas and reiterated the Kremlin's arguments.
Donald Trump believes that Vladimir Putin will not stop the war without obtaining Ukrainian territories, claiming that he has already gained some land. Putin sees the war as his “historic mission” and may agree to return Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in exchange for full control over Donetsk region.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Donald Trump to increase pressure on Putin and expressed readiness to join their upcoming summit in Budapest. He remains optimistic despite the US not providing the requested weapons.
During a visit to Moscow, pro-Russian MEP Șoșoacă stated that she would "break Zelenskyy's legs" if he dared to speak in the Romanian parliament again.
Over the past week, the aggressor used more than 3270 attack drones, 1370 guided aerial bombs, and almost 50 missiles against Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes that Russia is hindering the peace process, and it can only be stopped by pressure.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin does not want to end the war in Ukraine, as he is confident of his victory and views the conflict as a "historic mission. " He believes he has the upper hand on the battlefield and is willing to ignore the destruction of the Russian economy.
US President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, pressured the Ukrainian delegation to cede the Donetsk region to the Russians, arguing that the population was Russian-speaking. This happened during a meeting on Friday, according to The Washington Post.
US Vice President J. D. Vance supported Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth after a dispute over the color of his tie. Some called the tie Hegseth wore to the meeting of the US and Ukrainian presidents "Russian."
The Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, during a conversation with Donald Trump, made it clear that he could agree to return the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to Ukraine. As a condition for ending the war, he demands full control over the Donetsk region.
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.
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.