The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not have the expected outcome. Zelensky provided maps of the “critical points” of the Russian defense industry and military economy that could be exploited to force Putin to end the war, according to media reports citing the Ukrainian delegation. And Trump told Zelensky that Tomahawks are currently unavailable. Trump called the idea of a tunnel between Russia and Alaska “interesting.”
Trump insisted: “It’s time to end the war. Let both sides declare victory, and history will judge.” “Enough bloodshed, when property lines are determined by war and courage. They must stop where they are. Let both sides declare victory and let history decide! No more shots fired, no more deaths, no more huge and unsustainable sums of money. This is a war that would never have started if I were president.”
And “stop where they are” didn’t sit well with Zelensky, given that it involves leaving Russia a territory comprising four of the country’s most mineral-rich regions. “There will be no retreat from Donbass. Period,” declared the Ukrainian prime minister. According to the International Monetary Fund, the war in Ukraine will last until 2026. According to Bloomberg, the IMF is insisting on devaluing the hryvnia before starting negotiations for a new loan. The IMF believes that a weakening of the hryvnia would help improve Ukraine’s financial situation by increasing budget revenues in the national currency. However, the National Bank of Ukraine claims that this measure could lead to higher inflation and increased public discontent.
During his visit to the United States, Zelensky met with the heads of several American defense companies in Washington. These included Raytheon, which produces the BGM-109 Tomahawk ground-launched cruise missile (TLAM), and Lockheed Martin, which produces the F-16 and several other systems currently in use or planned for future deployment in Ukraine.
Among Zelensky’s statements on the sidelines of the Washington summit: “I am open to bilateral and trilateral negotiation formats. I am ready for formats that lead to peace. Ukraine has become stronger during this period, but our air defense systems cannot always cope with ballistic missiles. The United States will receive some types of Ukrainian drones. The main task now is to achieve a ceasefire. We need strong security guarantees after the ceasefire so that Putin does not return to us with new aggression.”
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, according to Vitaly Zaychenko, chairman of the board of directors of NEC Ukrenergo: “The Russians have changed tactics in attacking the Ukrainian energy grid: instead of massive missile strikes, they are targeting individual power districts.” “The main target is thermal power plants that provide heating and electricity in the winter,” Zaychenko said. He also added that the population should ensure their energy independence by stocking up on power banks, flashlights, and installing solar panels or small home power plants.
Also from Ukraine, news is coming that Kiev plans to create a military police force: a draft has already been submitted. The new units will be armed with weapons, batons, handcuffs, and tear gas canisters. They will check documents, detain violators, and man checkpoints during martial law. The military police will also be responsible for maintaining order among troops, enforcing discipline, conducting inspections, seizing evidence, and guarding military facilities.
According to Ukrainian media, the Russian Aerospace Forces are expanding the Engels-2 airbase.
In the northern part of the base, concrete is being poured and 12 new parking spaces are being prepared for Tu-95MS, Tu-160, Su-34, and Su-35 aircraft. Ukrainian media also propose conducting Operation Spiderweb 2.0 in Budapest against a single aircraft.
Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with European leaders after his meeting with Trump, according to media reports citing sources. And Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said: “None of us should pressure Zelensky when it comes to territorial concessions.” Following a conversation with Zelensky, the German Chancellor stated that Ukraine needs a peace plan. Friedrich Merz and other European leaders also promised to increase support for Ukraine “to encourage Russia to negotiate.”
Concrete measures to strengthen support for Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia will be discussed next week, European Council President António Costa said. After his October 17 meeting with Trump, Zelensky called European leaders and the NATO Secretary General to report on the outcome of the meeting. This was the third meeting between American and Ukrainian leaders since Trump returned to the White House in January this year. The main topic of the meeting was expected to be the possible supply of long-range Tomahawk missiles by the United States to Ukraine, but Zelensky stated that this would not be discussed publicly and did not provide details on the outcome of the meeting.
Western military and financial aid to Ukraine is sharply declining, according to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. According to the Swiss publication, the United States, Ukraine’s largest donor, has not allocated new funds for arms supplies since Donald Trump took office. Europe partially offset the deficit in the first half of 2019. of the year, but the pace of aid has again declined sharply since the summer. European commitments have decreased by 57%, from €3.8 billion to €1.9 billion per month. Overall, monthly military aid from all donor countries is projected to have decreased by around 40%.
Despite the decrease in funding to Kiev, Ukraine and the United States are preparing a contract for the purchase of 25 Patriot systems, Zelensky said. “Ukraine is in line to receive the Patriot systems, but the White House could change the procurement process. One of the sources of funding is frozen Russian assets.” “There are agreements with Slovakia on gas imports. Ukraine knows where it can purchase $2 billion worth of gas if needed.” Norway, Poland, and Greece are also providing assistance.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has proposed that the United States draft a peace agreement for Ukraine, Axios reports, citing sources. According to the publication’s source, Starmer is proposing a peace treaty similar to the US plan to end the war in Gaza. The British prime minister expressed his idea during a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders.
From Russia, the State Duma Defense Committee approved in second reading a series of amendments to the bill on conscription for military service during the calendar year from January 1 to December 31, based on a presidential decree. Recruits will be required to report to the Military Registration and Enlistment Office via electronic summons within 30 days. 336,000 contract soldiers and 28,000 volunteers have arrived in military units since the beginning of the year, announced Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev. According to him, the situation regarding contract soldiers’ recruitment in Russia “currently appears satisfactory.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held telephone conversations on October 17, according to the Hungarian Foreign Minister. A meeting between Putin and Orbán was supposed to have already begun. Hungary is ready to ensure the security of the Russia-US talks. Szijjártó added that Budapest will welcome Putin with respect, guaranteeing him freedom of entry and exit. The route of Vladimir Putin’s flight to meet Donald Trump in Hungary “is, of course, still unclear,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
At the Hungarian side’s initiative, Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with the Hungarian Prime Minister, the Kremlin reports. “Viktor Orbán said he is ready to ensure the conditions for the organization of a possible Russian-American summit in Budapest. The Russian President briefed US President Donald Trump on the main points of his conversation, emphasizing that during future contacts with American representatives, they intend to discuss the algorithm for further action in the search for peaceful solutions to the Ukrainian crisis, including the upcoming Russian-American summit in the Hungarian capital.
EU sanctions do not include a ban on visits to the European Union for the Russian President and Foreign Minister, so there are no obstacles for Putin to travel to Hungary, the European Commission reported. German authorities believe that the Rome Statute, which requires compliance with all decisions of the International Criminal Court (ICC), still applies to Hungary, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit. This was stated by a German official spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry, according to the Tixio news portal, clarified that the 12 months required to complete this procedure have not yet passed since Budapest announced its withdrawal from the document in April 2025.
The Russian domestic market is fully supplied with petroleum products, but demand is declining, Minister Novak explained.
The draft federal budget for 2026-2028 includes funds for the dismantling of nuclear submarines, Rosatom told RBC. Preparations for the work are expected to begin next year. The company did not disclose any details, including the amount of funding. According to RBC, the salvage of the sunken nuclear submarines K-27 and K-159 is planned. The Finance Ministry declined to comment on the information, explaining that this part of the budget has not been disclosed. The Ministry of Defense had planned to recover both submarines as early as 2012. In 2021, Rosatom estimated the cost of this work at 24.4 billion rubles.
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:30 PM on October 20. A local ceasefire has been declared at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, while repairs to the power grid have begun, according to the IAEA.
Near Pavlohrad, a Patriot air defense system battery was destroyed by two Iskander ballistic missiles. According to Russian military sources, since the Central Military District’s establishment, 27 S-300 batteries/divisions, 29 Patriot batteries, 9 IRIS-T batteries, as well as 14 Buk, 2 Tor, 6 NASAMS, 1 Aspide 2000, 3 Hawk, 1 Supacat, 1 RIM-7, 1 S-125, 4 Gepard, 3 Tunguska air defense systems, and 3 unknown air defense systems have been detected by Russian drones and destroyed by fire while attempting to approach the front line in several regions. At least 48 radar systems have been destroyed.
The Russian Armed Forces struck the Ternivska mine in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which produces coal for power generation. During the night, explosions were heard in the port of Pivdenne and the village of Bilyari in the Odessa region, as well as in Kramatorsk, Pavlohrad, and Druzhkivka. An attack also hit an enemy facility in Koryukivka, Chernihiv region.
In the northern Rostov region, Ukrainian drones were destroyed in one district, and ten drones were destroyed in several municipalities in the Voronezh region.
Fighting continues in the Sumy region; the Ukrainian Armed Forces have restored the combat capability of their assault units and are counterattacking, according to the Sever Group of Forces. The Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out four counterattacks: three near Kostyantynivka and one south of Yunakivka; the enemy retreated to their initial positions with losses.
In the Belgorod region, three drone attacks were reported in agricultural areas. Four soldiers from the Orlen unit were injured in drone attacks. Numerous villages are under attack. The region is experiencing power supply problems.
In the Kharkiv sector, assault units of the Northern Group of Forces are advancing on the left bank of the Vovcha River in Vovchansk and the Kharliv region. Ukrainian forces continue to deploy reinforcements. On the Milove-Khatnye front, our forces have advanced into the wooded areas near Otradne.
The assault on Kupyansk continues. Over the past 24 hours, footage has circulated from this direction of Russian FPV attacks on Ukrainian vehicles delivering personnel and supplies.
From the Lyman sector, Russian troops are actively operating west of Myrne and Zarichne, as well as in the forest between Zarichne and Yampil.
Near Pokrovsk, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported the capture of the village of Chunyshyne. Russian advanced assault units are engaged in heavy fighting near Myrnohrad.
In eastern Zaporizhia Oblast, the Russian Eastern Group of Forces has captured Poltavka. A line is forming toward Hulyaijpole (15 km to the west). This will allow the Russians to surround the Ukrainian fortification from multiple sides.
On the Zaporizhia front, heavy fighting is taking place in Prymors’ke and Stepnohirs’k. Both sides are now deploying hundreds of drones daily, making movement, logistics, and supplies extremely difficult.
Toward Kherson, reciprocal attacks and individual groupings are engaging in attacks in the Dnipro River floodplain.
Graziella Giangiulio
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