US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin are meeting in Hungary. Trump announced this after a phone call with the Russian president. The Kremlin subsequently reiterated warnings about American Tomahawk deliveries to Ukraine. More in the live ticker.
US President Donald Trump has confirmed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday. A high-ranking Ukrainian delegation led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko will also travel to the US for talks on strengthening defense capabilities.
All events surrounding the war in Ukraine and security policy in Europe in the live ticker:
9:00 PM – Speaker: Trump believes Putin-Zelensky meeting is possible
When asked whether Trump still believes he can bring Putin and Zelensky to the table, Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the US president, said:"I think he thinks it's possible." The first step now is to plan the meeting with Rubio and the Russian side and prepare for the meeting in Budapest.
After the Alaska summit, Leavitt, in response to journalists' questions, stated that Putin had agreed to a meeting with Zelensky. This time, she was more cautious: The Kremlin chief had agreed to a meeting with Trump, she said. When asked what would have to happen for Putin to be willing to talk with Zelensky, she replied:"I don't want to get into that."
8:45 PM – Kremlin warns again about Tomahawk deliveries
Putin's advisor, Yuri Ushakov, confirmed talks about a new summit. Trump suggested Budapest, and Putin immediately agreed. Putin reiterated during the conversation that the discussed deployment of American Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield. At the same time, it would cause"significant" damage to US-Russian relations and the prospects for a peaceful solution.
8:31 p.m. – Nationwide power outages in Ukraine
Ukraine has once again experienced nationwide emergency power outages. The state-run grid operator Ukrenerho announced this via Telegram. The company also confirmed hourly power outages for industrial consumers. This Friday, these will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time (6 a.m. to 9 p.m. CEST). The previous day, the restrictions for private households were lifted shortly before 11 p.m. local time (10 p.m. CEST). Due to ongoing Russian drone and missile attacks on energy facilities, the season for district heating systems in Ukraine's cities has already been postponed.
8:15 p.m. – Hungary “ready” for meeting between Trump and Putin
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán responded positively to the announcement of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in Budapest."We are ready!" he wrote on social media on Thursday after Trump announced the meeting on his Truth Social platform in the struggle to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
7:22 PM – Trump announces meeting with Putin in Hungary
US President Donald Trump plans to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital Budapest in the struggle to end the war in Ukraine. He announced this after a phone call with the Russian president on the Truth Social platform. He did not specify a specific time. He said there will be a meeting of high-level government officials next week. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the talks. The location has yet to be determined.
Trump called the phone call with Putin"very productive." It also addressed trade relations between the US and Russia after the intended end to the war in Ukraine. He was convinced that the"success in the Middle East," meaning the ceasefire agreement after two years of the Gaza war, would help in the negotiations on Ukraine.
The conversation took place shortly before a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. According to the Ukrainian government, the main topic of the meeting is the possible delivery of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Trump had already told reporters on Sunday that he wanted to discuss the Tomahawk issue with Putin – as a possible lever to pressure Moscow to end the war.
6:50 PM – Trump wants to speak publicly about Putin phone call
US President Donald Trump says he is still on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump announced on his online network Truth Social that it was a long conversation that is still ongoing. He will report on the content as soon as it is concluded. The Kremlin also confirmed that the conversation is taking place, according to a report by the state news agency RIA.
5:59 PM – Trump: “I am now speaking with President Putin”
US President Donald Trump has reportedly begun a"long" phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin."I am now speaking with President Putin," Trump wrote on his online service Truth Social on Thursday. The"long" conversation is still ongoing, and he will comment on the content of the conversation after its conclusion, the US president added.
5:10 PM – Russian ambassador warns EU of “theft”
Russian Ambassador Sergei Nechayev has described the plans to use Russian assets frozen in the EU to arm Ukraine as"theft" and threatened consequences."Any disposal of sovereign Russian assets without Russia's consent, regardless of the machinations of the European Commission, is nothing other than theft," the chief diplomat said in a statement released by the embassy. Earlier, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) reiterated his proposal for the use of Russian assets in his government statement in the Bundestag, which he intends to advocate for at the EU summit in Brussels next week.
4:58 PM – North Korean soldiers control drones over Ukraine
According to Ukrainian sources, North Korean soldiers are controlling drones for reconnaissance missions over Ukraine from Russia. The units are operating from the Russian region of Kursk to locate Ukrainian positions in the neighboring region of Sumy, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. This is the first time in months that Kyiv has reported the deployment of North Korean soldiers. Last year, thousands of North Korean soldiers fought alongside Russian forces in the same region. They reportedly suffered heavy losses.
4:41 p.m. – Telephone conversation between Trump and Putin planned for Thursday
US President Donald Trump plans to speak with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin again by phone. A senior White House official announced in Washington that the call is scheduled for Thursday. On Friday, Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House for talks. According to the Ukrainian government, the main topic will be the possible delivery of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.
11:49 a.m. – Operation of gas production facilities in Ukraine stopped after Russian attacks
Following a new wave of Russian attacks, the operation of several gas infrastructure facilities in Ukraine will be temporarily halted on Thursday."As a result of the attack, gas production facilities in the Poltava region were shut down," the country's largest private energy supplier, DTEK, announced online. The head of the gas company Naftogaz, Serhiy Koretsky, stated:"There were hits and destruction in several regions simultaneously. The operation of several important facilities has been suspended."
09:34 – Selenskyj: Russian attack with over 300 drones and 37 missiles
Ukraine reports another massive Russian airstrike. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russia attacked overnight with more than 300 drones and 37 missiles."The Russians are using every single day this fall to attack our energy infrastructure," Zelenskyy wrote on the online platform X. With the onset of the cold season, Russia has again intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy supply, as in previous war years.
08:38 – Utilities: Russian attack on gas facilities in Poltava region
A Russian attack crippled the operation of gas production facilities belonging to the Ukrainian energy supplier DTEK in the central Poltava region overnight. The company announced this on the Telegram short message service. Russia attacked the energy infrastructure with drones and missiles. As in previous war years, the Russian military has once again increasingly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure at the start of the heating season.
Wednesday, October 15:
22:55 India will no longer buy oil from Russia, according to Trump
According to US President Donald Trump, India intends to halt its oil purchases from Russia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him of this, Trump told reporters at the White House."This is a big step," he added. No comment from the Indian government was immediately available. The US is trying to curb Russian oil revenues because of the war in Ukraine.
8:25 p.m. – Swedish army pursues Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea
Swedish armed forces reportedly tracked a Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday in a"routine operation." A Russian submarine entered the Baltic Sea on Tuesday via the Great Belt, a Danish strait, the army said."The armed forces' fighter aircraft and warships have detected the submarine in the Kattegat and are now tracking it," the army said, referring to the sea area between Denmark and Sweden.
According to the army, this is a"routine operation conducted in close cooperation with our allies." The army stated that it has a "good overview of our immediate surroundings."
7:25 PM – Ukraine shuts off power in numerous regions
Ukraine has shut down power in all but two regions following Russian attacks on its energy system. The Energy Ministry announced this. Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal warned in Brussels of a"very harsh, very difficult winter."
6:23 PM – Italy stops extradition of Nord Stream suspect
Italy has halted the planned extradition to Germany of the alleged mastermind of the 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Italy's highest court in Rome unexpectedly overturned a lower court's ruling. The case will now go back to another court, which must make a new decision. The Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses the 49-year-old Ukrainian of conspiring to cause an explosion and unconstitutional sabotage.
According to the Ukrainian's lawyer, Nicola Canestrini, the Court of Cassation in Rome justified its decision by arguing that the 49-year-old's rights had been violated during the legal proceedings following his arrest in August. Therefore, a differently constituted court would have to reconsider the extradition request.
5:25 p.m. – Federal government warns of “new dimension of threat”
In light of drone overflights, espionage activities, and disinformation campaigns, the German government has called for the threat situation in Germany to be taken seriously."We must counter these threats quickly and decisively," emphasized State Secretary Florian Hahn (CSU) for the Federal Foreign Office. During a debate in the Bundestag, he advocated, among other things, for an expansion of German air defense.
Defense State Secretary Nils Schmid (SPD) spoke of a"new dimension of threat" and promised around ten billion euros for drone defense over the next ten years. The opposition, however, accused the government of hesitancy – for example, regarding conscription."We are not capable of defending ourselves," warned AfD deputy parliamentary group leader Stefan Keuter. Green Party deputy parliamentary group leader Konstantin von Notz, meanwhile, called for a protection concept for critical infrastructure and clear responsibilities for drone defense.
16:32 – Swedish army pursues Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea
Swedish armed forces reportedly tracked a Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday in a"routine operation." A Russian submarine entered the Baltic Sea on Tuesday via the Great Belt, a Danish strait, the army said."The armed forces' fighter aircraft and warships have detected the submarine in the Kattegat and are now tracking it," the army said, referring to the sea area between Denmark and Sweden.
According to the information, this is a"routine operation conducted in close cooperation with our allies." The army stated that it has a "good overview of our immediate surroundings." Since the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, tensions have also increased in the Baltic Sea.
1:21 p.m. – USA demands higher spending on Ukraine weapons from NATO partners
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is calling on NATO partners to increase spending on US weapons in light of a sharp decline in military aid to Ukraine."Our expectation today is that more countries will donate even more, that they will buy even more to supply Ukraine and bring this conflict to a peaceful conclusion," Hegseth said Wednesday before a meeting of NATO defense ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels. Peace is achieved through strength, not strong words.
Hegseth called on allies to increase investments in the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program. The program has replaced previous US military aid to Ukraine; partners must now pay for US arms deliveries. Ukraine remains heavily dependent on US weapons as it prepares for another winter of Russian aggression.
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) reported on Tuesday that military aid to Ukraine fell by 43 percent in July and August compared to the first half of the year. According to the institute, the majority of military aid is now flowing through the PURL initiative. Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Canada, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden had joined the program by August.
08:07 – “Little green men” appear on the Russian-Estonian border
Moscow's provocations are increasing on the Russian-Estonian border. As the Kyiv Independent reports, Estonia was forced to close a border crossing in the southeast of the country on October 10 after seven armed men in uniforms without insignia were spotted there. The so-called"Saatse Boot" road – a narrow road that briefly runs through Russian territory – was subsequently closed for security reasons."We have noticed significantly more activity than usual," said Kunter Pedoski, head of operations for Estonia's southern prefecture.
The appearance of the unmarked soldiers evokes memories of the “little green men” of 2014 – the Russian troops without insignia who occupied Crimea at that time.
07:00 a.m. – Young men in particular come
The number of people from Ukraine seeking protection in Germany has apparently increased significantly in recent weeks. The lifting of the travel ban for able-bodied Ukrainian men between 18 and 22 years of age has led to an increase in applications for protection from this group"from approximately 100 per week before the regulation came into force to currently approximately 1,000 per week," a spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior told the Funke Media Group newspapers. The extent to which this is"a temporary development" cannot be assessed "at this time."
The overall number of people from Ukraine in Germany increased over the summer. According to the Interior Ministry, 7,961 Ukrainians were registered through the"Free" registration system in May, 11,277 in August, and 18,755 in September. Unlike asylum seekers, those seeking protection from Ukraine receive a residence permit under Section 24 of the Residence Act, which allows immediate access to the labor market and social benefits.
06:15 – Zelenskyy revokes citizenship of Odessa mayor
Zelenskyy has accused the mayor of the port city of Odessa, Hennady Trukhanov, of holding Russian citizenship and has deposed him. He also revoked the 60-year-old's Ukrainian citizenship. In his evening video address on Tuesday, he also accused him of failure:"Too many security issues in Odessa have remained unresolved for too long." The mayor of Ukraine's largest port city, who has been in office since 2014, rejected the allegations on the public broadcaster Suspilne. He said he has proof that he does not hold Russian citizenship.
02:14 a.m. – 40 villages must be evacuated
Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of families from numerous villages near the almost completely destroyed northeastern city of Kupiansk. The reason given was the"deteriorating security situation" in the region, which is under heavy Russian attack. The governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, Oleg Synyehubov, wrote on Telegram that a total of 409 families with 601 children had been ordered to leave 27 villages. Another official in the affected area later told the public broadcaster Suspilne that the list of villages to be evacuated had been expanded to 40.
Tuesday, October 14:
8:47 p.m. – Trump sees Russia's economy collapsing
US President Donald Trump once again criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin. He told reporters that Putin was simply unwilling to end his war in Ukraine. He was"very disappointed" because he and Putin had a very good relationship. Putin must end the war. There are long lines at gas stations in Russia, he said, and the country's economy will collapse.
3:00 PM – UN reports Russian attack on aid convoy in Ukraine
According to the UN, Russian forces attacked a United Nations aid convoy in southern Ukraine. Four trucks carrying aid"clearly marked as UN property" were fired upon by Russian drones and artillery in Biloseka in the Kherson region, near the front line, the United Nations said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the attack"another brutal violation of international law" that demonstrated Moscow's "complete disregard for the lives of civilians and its international obligations." "Such attacks are completely unacceptable. Humanitarian workers are protected by international humanitarian law and must never be attacked," said Matthias Schmale, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine. Two World Food Programme (WFP) trucks were damaged in the attack.
2:23 p.m. – Court of Justice: Russia must pay more than 253 million euros to Georgia
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Russia to pay Georgia more than 253 million euros for violating the rights of residents of breakaway regions following the 2008 war between the two countries. The Strasbourg-based court ruled on Tuesday that the rights of 29,000 residents had been violated by the establishment of demarcation lines in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia starting in 2009.
The court awarded these residents compensation. The court emphasized that it is the responsibility of the Georgian government to establish an"effective mechanism" for distributing the funds to the individual victims within 18 months of Russia's payment. Although Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe after the start of its war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 and has not been party to the Convention since September 2022, the country must still answer for violations committed up to that point. It is unlikely that Russia will pay. Moscow no longer considers the Court's decisions binding on itself and refuses to pay any fines.
1:15 p.m. – CSU: AfD politician's trip to Russia would be"treason"
The CSU believes that the planned trip to Russia by the AfD's deputy leader in the Bundestag, Markus Frohnmaier, must be prevented."The AfD leadership must prevent the trip. Anything else would be treason," CSU General Secretary Martin Huber told the German Press Agency in Munich.
Frohnmaier is known as a"vassal" of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and"the risk that he will pass on secret information to the Kremlin and thus massively endanger the security of Germany and Europe is high," Huber emphasized. Not least, the statements made by the intelligence services in the Bundestag have demonstrated how great the threat posed by Russia has become to all NATO states.
12:48 p.m. – Russian airstrike hits Ukrainian hospital
Russian forces attacked Ukraine's second-largest city overnight with powerful glide bombs and drones. A hospital in Kharkiv was hit, injuring seven people, an official said in an initial assessment on Tuesday. Fifty patients also had to be evacuated to safety, said regional director Oleh Syniehubov.
The main targets of the attack were energy facilities, said Ukrainian President Zelensky, without providing details about the facilities hit."Every day, every night, Russia attacks power plants, power lines, and our (natural) gas facilities," he wrote on Telegram.
11:10 a.m. – Peace Prize winner Schlögel: German peace movement is “blind”
This year's winner of the German Book Trade Peace Prize, Karl Schlögel, accuses the German peace movement of being blind. He takes pacifism seriously, the Eastern European expert told the Berlin newspaper"Tagesspiegel."
But a pacifist movement that talks about peace but doesn't name aggression and the aggressor, that doesn't distinguish between attack and defense, is blind. Referring to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Schlögel added:"I can't take it seriously."
09:40 – Rutte rants about allegedly defective Russian submarine
According to several media reports, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has ridiculed the overall condition of Moscow's fleet due to alleged technical problems with Russian submarines.
The condition of the allegedly defective submarine has been the source of speculation for days. The first report was made on September 27 by a Telegram channel that frequently publishes alleged Russian security leaks. According to the report, fuel had leaked into the cargo hold of the"Novorossiysk" in the Strait of Gibraltar, increasing the risk of an explosion. On Saturday, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced that the Dutch Navy had escorted the"Novorossiysk" and its tugboat from the waters.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet then stated on Monday that the (diesel-powered) submarine had only surfaced off the French coast in the English Channel in order to comply with navigation rules, the BBC quoted among others from the statement.
In a speech at the annual meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Slovenia, Rutte again claimed that the submarine was"broken." The excerpt from the speech was also picked up by the British newspaper "The Times" and is available in.
"Currently, there is virtually no Russian naval presence left in the Mediterranean. There's just a lonely, broken-down Russian submarine limping home from its patrol," Rutte reportedly said."How different from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel 'The Hunt for Red October.' Today, it seems more like a hunt for the next mechanic."
05:30 – Selenskyy wants to negotiate with Trump about cruise missiles
Despite Kremlin warnings against the delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to negotiate precisely this issue with US President Donald Trump this week. Zelenskyy cited"air defense and our long-range strike capabilities to pressure Russia for peace" as the "main topic of the visit" to Washington on Friday in a Telegram message. He said he would propose the next steps to Trump.
04:39 – Trump confirms meeting with Zelensky
US President Donald Trump confirmed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday. Zelenskyy intends to discuss a range of measures with Trump. On the online service X, the Ukrainian president stated that he is joining a Ukrainian delegation that has already departed for the US for talks with politicians and businesses.
02:58 – Erdogan to play a key role
US President Donald Trump believes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could play a key role in ending the war in Ukraine. Trump confirmed this to journalists aboard Air Force One on his return flight to the US.
00:32 – Heavy bombing of Kharkiv
A Russian bombing raid on Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, has knocked out power to 30,000 households, according to local authorities. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov told local television that the bombs hit power lines and damaged a hospital. Four people were injured. Kharkiv is just over 20 kilometers from the Russian border.
