The Trump administration has lifted a key ban on Ukraine's use of long-range Western missiles to strike Russia. This decision allows Ukraine to attack military targets deep within Russia, including with Storm Shadow missiles.
In Washington, a man drove his car into a gate near the presidential residence. The incident occurred on the evening of October 21, the driver was arrested, and the car was checked for threats.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban confirmed that preparations for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in Budapest are underway. The meeting was postponed due to Moscow's refusal to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, but a date has not yet been set.
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.
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.
During a meeting with Zelenskyy in Washington, US President Donald Trump stated that his priority is to end the war. He also made it clear that he is not interested in any specific territorial outcome.
Democrats in the US Senate have rejected a temporary funding bill proposed by the Republican Party for the 11th time. The government shutdown is approaching its fourth week, making it the third longest in the country's history.
The US opposes the EU's plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, citing risks to market stability. This move is a setback for the EU, which has been trying to persuade G7 countries to join its initiative.
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.
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.
Ukrainian troops have improved the situation in the Kupyansk and Sumy directions, and also liberated four villages on the border of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. President Zelenskyy also noted that Ukraine and the United States are preparing a contract for the supply of 25 Patriot systems.
Kyiv and Washington are preparing a contract for 25 Patriot systems, which is a request from the Ukrainian army. The deal is planned to be financed by frozen Russian assets.
Bitcoin recovered to $110,000 amid expectations of a Fed interest rate cut and stabilization of the trade war between the US and China. Other cryptocurrencies such as Ether, XRP, BNB, Solana, Cardano, and Dogecoin also showed growth.
SIG Sauer presented an updated version of the M7 assault rifle at the AUSA 2025 exhibition in Washington. The new weapon became lighter due to the lightening of the moving parts of the bolt group and the reduction in barrel thickness.
On October 18, "No Kings" protests against the administration of President Donald Trump are taking place in the United States. In total, more than 2,500 rallies are expected to draw millions of participants in Washington, New York, and Chicago.
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.
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.
Ukraine will receive the first financial proceeds from Japan from the revenues of frozen Russian assets in early 2026. This is part of the G7 countries' ERA mechanism worth $50 billion, which will go to finance the state budget expenditures.
After meeting with Donald Trump in Washington, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about the American leader's words regarding his relationship with the Russian leader. Trump stated that Putin hates Zelenskyy, and the Ukrainian president replied that he has the same attitude towards Putin.
On October 18, millions of people across the United States will demonstrate under the slogan "No Kings. " In the House of Representatives, Republican leaders stated that this is a "demonstration against the USA." There are also comments that the rallies are intended to distract from the shutdown of Congress.
During a meeting in Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Donald Trump with maps indicating potential targets in Russia. These maps showed pressure points in Russia's defense and military economy.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during his visit to the White House, stated that the most important thing for Ukraine is reliable security guarantees. He emphasized that NATO is the best defense option, and weapons and allies are also important.
The open part of the meeting between the presidents of the United States and Ukraine has concluded. The leaders moved to closed-door negotiations, where they will discuss military support, peaceful settlement, and bilateral relations.
European leaders are trying to find a place at the negotiating table after Putin's contact with Trump threatens to nullify their efforts to increase pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Trump said he would hold a second summit with Putin in Budapest after lengthy telephone conversations.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the White House, where he was met by Donald Trump. The meeting takes place against the backdrop of discussions regarding the supply of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and Trump's previous negotiations with Putin.
The US supports the new IMF lending program for Ukraine and the EU initiative to provide a loan based on Russian assets. This was stated by European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis.
The EU has proposed using part of a €140 billion loan, backed by frozen Russian assets, to purchase American weapons for Ukraine. This is on condition that Washington continues to support Kyiv in its defense against Moscow.
During a meeting in Alaska, Russian dictator Putin did not want peace in Ukraine; instead, he began talking about a "single nation" with Ukrainians, which led Donald Trump to almost walk out of the meeting and raise his voice several times.
Amid Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump, Ukraine hopes to expand the list of weapons it can purchase, including Tomahawk missiles. Yegor Chernev, deputy head of the National Security Committee, noted that there are no restrictions on the quantity of what Ukraine can buy from the United States.
Oil prices are down 3% for the week. This comes amid uncertainty over global supplies after Trump and Putin agreed to meet on the war in Ukraine.