New York Times: President Trump, defending his decision to ease tariffs and other sanctions against Russia, said on Sunday that he was making “great progress” in a peace deal with the Kremlin and suggested for the first time that the process included “hostage negotiations.”
He did not specify whose release he was seeking. But the only American now categorized by the State Department as “wrongfully detained” in Russia is Stephen Hubbard, a Michigan teacher who was seized from his home in Ukraine just months after Russia invaded that country in February 2022 and was charged with being a mercenary. He was sentenced to more than six years in a penal colony, on charges that the United States has said are fabricated…
Zelensky Says Trump Risks ‘Historic Mistake’ If He Backs Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concerns on Sunday that the United States might abandon Ukraine and side with Russia, following a series of moves by the Trump administration, including what he described as ongoing restrictions on a U.S.-provided military-grade satellite internet service used by the Ukrainian army…
Trump and Zelensky escalate feud as Ukraine war strains alliance
President Donald Trump defended his decision to ease pressure on Russia and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of prolonging the war Sunday, hurling blame across the Atlantic even as members of his own party criticized Trump’s approach to Moscow.
In a lengthy social media post, Trump praised Russia for supplying diesel to global markets while claiming that Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries were harming American farmers and businesses. He also claimed that Zelensky “doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.”…
St Petersburg endures biggest Ukrainian drone attack
The attacks indicated Ukraine was determined to press on with its campaign of strikes against Russian refineries, which it had paused after US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement that the two countries had agreed to an “energy ceasefire”. It resumed its campaign after uninterrupted Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure…
US threatens Europe over Starlink restrictions
European companies face “devastating” retaliation from Washington if Brussels presses ahead with plans to restrict American rivals such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX from parts of the European market, the US ambassador to the EU has warned…
Putin Floats a Summit With Trump and Xi to Discuss Ukraine Deal
The plan represents an effort by Putin to capitalize on warming ties between Trump and the Russian leader that have alarmed Ukraine and its allies in Washington and Europe. Such a summit—one without the involvement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—would be unprecedented and send alarm bells ringing in European capitals and beyond.
Putin floated the idea in an Oct. 9 phone call with Trump, said a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter. That conversation also produced a deal for the U.S. to buy Russian diesel fuel and facilitate its sale on the global market…
Poland is preparing a Starlink equivalent. Tomczyk: We have the first offers.
Referring to the decision to slow down the operation of the Starlink and Starshield systems used by the Ukrainian military, Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk confirmed in the “Strefa Influenceów” podcast that Poland is preparing to create its own equivalent of Starlink.
…”Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently announced a discussion on this capability in Kielce. We’ve had numerous meetings on this topic within the Ministry of National Defense and the government. The Prime Minister is a staunch supporter of building technological sovereignty. Poland, perhaps in conjunction with other European partners, will soon be able to announce a major project to build a Polish or European Starlink. First for the military, then the services, then the state, and in the future, for all of Europe.”…