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Zelenskyy says Ukraine halted attacks on Russian oil refineries, but Russia ‘did not heed’ Trump’s call for ceasefire
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy also responded to the Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, saying Moscow has used “more than a hundred different weapons,” from “jet-powered drones, loitering munitions and ballistic missiles.”
And, interestingly, he pointedly says Ukraine had “no early warning” on one of the strikes in Kyiv.
“An ordinary residential building was destroyed in Kharkiv; the rescue operation continued virtually all night as first responders searched for people under the rubble. Four people were killed in this strike on the building in Kharkiv. My condolences to all their families and loved ones. In Kharkiv alone, 41 people were injured in just one evening.
There was also a particularly vile ballistic missile strike on Kyiv – five missiles that hit civilian infrastructure. Unfortunately, we received no early warning from our partners about this strike. Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues. This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed – when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles.”
Zelenskyy also says Ukraine has halted strikes on Russian oil refineries for two days after Trump’s ceasefire announcement, but “Russia did not heed the American president.”
“During this time, the Russians have attacked both our energy facilities and our critical infrastructure, sending absolutely clear signals that they have no intention of refraining from strikes on Ukraine. Nineteen regions of our country have come under attack in these two days alone.
Our position remains unchanged: Ukraine is ready for reciprocal steps toward de-escalation, and effective pressure on Russia is needed to make de-escalation happen. Wars end when the aggressor realizes that it cannot prolong the war.
Global pressure on Russia contributes to exactly that – bringing peace closer. But direct or indirect support for Russia, slowing down assistance to Ukraine, and making it harder to protect lives against ballistic missiles will certainly not help bring peace. Everyone needs peace. A strong America, a strong Europe, and strong partners are needed.”
Key events
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Nato will continue to ‘adjust’ to face new threats after two ships struck off Bulgarian coast
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Pope Leo leaves Vatican for planned lung surgery
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Spanish royals visit crisis-hit Ceuta, months after migration border crisis
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Germany detains fourth person over Polish Starlink station blaze, reports say
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Despite some progress, Sweden’s Andersson still unable to form new government
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Zelenskyy says Ukraine halted attacks on Russian oil refineries, but Russia ‘did not heed’ Trump’s call for ceasefire
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Ukraine’s Sybiha confirms US intel still flowing, quashing speculations over no air alert last night
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‘Doors to the EU are open for you,’ German minister tells Miliband
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‘Over our dead bodies,’ Poland’s Sikorski dismisses suggestions of releasing frozen Russian assets
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Russia ‘not ready’ for ceasefire at the moment, Germany’s Wadephul says
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Europe has ‘big decisions to make’ on Russian frozen assets with UK willing to work with the EU, Miliband says
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‘We are facing a really testing period’ on Ukraine, Russian hybrid warfare, UK’s Miliband says
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Support for Ukraine over the coming winter is critical, EU ministers say
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11 crew members from sunken vessel hit by drone still missing near Bulgarian coast
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Morning opening: Two ships hit by drones off Bulgarian coast
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called for tougher measures to curb illegal migration in a letter sent to the 27 leaders of the EU member countries ahead of a discussion on the topic scheduled for Friday.
She said this summer’s huge border crossing of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta – in which about 140 people are estimated to have died – showed just how quickly “sudden massive arrivals can put pressure on the EU’s external borders”.
Her proposals include broadening the powers of the EU’s border agency, Frontex, including a new “Quick Reaction Force for crisis deployment”, and increasing the bloc’s return rate.
The European Parliament in June approved an overhaul of migration policy aimed at speeding up deportations and allowing member states to establish centres abroad, in what critics warned could weaken safeguards for asylum seekers.
Donald Trump’s plans to import diesel from Russia drew swift condemnation from Ukraine and other (traditional) allies, with European officials fearing it undermined transatlantic unity at a time when Moscow is escalating its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of another gruelling winter.
But speaking to the AFP news agency on Tuesday, the EU economy commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, said that Russian diesel sales recently authorised by the US were unlikely to significantly move the price of the commodity, which has spiked since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February. Dombrovskis said:
As regards specifically this question on Russian diesel exports, if we look at the volumes, they are not of any macroeconomic significance, and frankly, there are strong doubts whether Russia is even able to supply those volumes, and according also to US quality standards, those are big question marks.
Nato will continue to ‘adjust’ to face new threats after two ships struck off Bulgarian coast
Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte said that Nato will “adjust” as needed to the evolving nature of threats it faces after two merchant ships were once again struck off the Bulgarian coast (9:58).
Eleven people are still missing after one of the ships sank.
Responding to the incident, Nato’s Rutte said:
“I spoke with Bulgarian PM @RumenRadevPM about the latest attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea. Nato will continue to work closely with our Allies in the Black Sea.
We have already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank and will continue to monitor the security environment, adjusting our deterrence and defence posture as needed.”
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul also condemned the incident, saying:
“I condemn the appalling attacks on merchant vessels in the #BlackSea. They are an attack on international shipping & on global food security, depriving the most vulnerable of much-needed supplies. Our thoughts are with the victims – and our solidarity with our ally #Bulgaria 🇧🇬”
Pope Leo leaves Vatican for planned lung surgery
Pope Leo has left the Vatican in a convoy of vehicles ahead of his expected admission to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for surgery to remove a small growth found on one of his lungs, the first major health issue of his 17-month tenure, Reuters reported.
The surgery is expected to take place later today, and all of Pope Leo’s public events have been cancelled until next Tuesday.
Spanish royals visit crisis-hit Ceuta, months after migration border crisis
Oh, actually, one more bit of news from elsewhere: the Spanish royals are now visiting Ceuta.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are on a diplomatically sensitive visit to the North African enclave, their first trip there since 2007, just months after a migration border crisis there in late July.
I will keep one eye on this, and you can watch the scenes live here:
Germany detains fourth person over Polish Starlink station blaze, reports say
Let’s go back to Ukraine and related security news.
German police detained a woman in Berlin and a man over a fire that struck a Polish Starlink internet station in September, Polish broadcaster RMF FM reported Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.
According to RMF FM, a Polish broadcaster, the woman may have been acting as a driver for the two men, and “assisted with the logistics of the sabotage operation,” AFP reported.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Monday that Germany detained two Turkish men suspected of setting fire to the station in central Poland, calling it “another act of hybrid warfare”.
The fire at the Starlink station in central Poland broke out overnight in late September, prompting concerns about sabotage.
Swedish parliament speaker Andreas Norlén says he will put Andersson’s candidacy to lead a single-party government to test her support in parliament.
The vote will take place on Thursday.
Andersson is likely to fail as her potential coalition partners are not expected to support a single-party government – in fact, Norlén acknowledged that Andersson’s talks to date had not even focused on this option.
If she fails, Norlén will consult with party leaders on next steps and who should be given a chance to form the next government, but he wants to see some urgency in this process.
He doesn’t rule out giving the task to another party leader after that.
If a PM candidate(s) put forward by the speaker get(s) rejected four times, it triggers a snap election, and so Norlén says that moving forward on this timeline – making the first step – should focus some minds and help drive the process further.
Despite some progress, Sweden’s Andersson still unable to form new government
As promised, there is also an update from Sweden, where the Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson has said that despite some progress, there are still no “condition” in place to confirm a new left-leaning government.
She reported back to the parliament’s speaker on the talks, and it’s up to him to decide what’s next and whether she should continue the exploratory talks, she said, as reported by SVT.
She says further progress requires parties to be “constructive” and focus on “solving issues” and what the new government can do.
“It’s a complicated parliamentary situation … after the election … and I expect it will be some time before we have a new government,” she said in English.
Parliamentary speaker Andreas Norlén will say what he wants to do next at his press conference in about 15 minutes.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine halted attacks on Russian oil refineries, but Russia ‘did not heed’ Trump’s call for ceasefire
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy also responded to the Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, saying Moscow has used “more than a hundred different weapons,” from “jet-powered drones, loitering munitions and ballistic missiles.”
And, interestingly, he pointedly says Ukraine had “no early warning” on one of the strikes in Kyiv.
“An ordinary residential building was destroyed in Kharkiv; the rescue operation continued virtually all night as first responders searched for people under the rubble. Four people were killed in this strike on the building in Kharkiv. My condolences to all their families and loved ones. In Kharkiv alone, 41 people were injured in just one evening.
There was also a particularly vile ballistic missile strike on Kyiv – five missiles that hit civilian infrastructure. Unfortunately, we received no early warning from our partners about this strike. Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues. This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed – when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles.”
Zelenskyy also says Ukraine has halted strikes on Russian oil refineries for two days after Trump’s ceasefire announcement, but “Russia did not heed the American president.”
“During this time, the Russians have attacked both our energy facilities and our critical infrastructure, sending absolutely clear signals that they have no intention of refraining from strikes on Ukraine. Nineteen regions of our country have come under attack in these two days alone.
Our position remains unchanged: Ukraine is ready for reciprocal steps toward de-escalation, and effective pressure on Russia is needed to make de-escalation happen. Wars end when the aggressor realizes that it cannot prolong the war.
Global pressure on Russia contributes to exactly that – bringing peace closer. But direct or indirect support for Russia, slowing down assistance to Ukraine, and making it harder to protect lives against ballistic missiles will certainly not help bring peace. Everyone needs peace. A strong America, a strong Europe, and strong partners are needed.”
Ukraine’s Sybiha confirms US intel still flowing, quashing speculations over no air alert last night
Separately, Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has confirmed that the US continues to supply Ukraine with intelligence data after concerns prompted by the lack of air alerts during last night’s Russian strike on the country.
Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, he replied:
“Probably you are asking me if we are getting intelligence data from American side. Yes, we continue this cooperation.
And also it is true that yesterday attack or night attack, red alert was launched with a delay, but it is because of, special type of the weaponry which was used by Russian side.”
Sybiha also spoke about expected escalation “in the air, ground and on sea” from Russia.
He also delivers a strong line on how Ukraine has changed its position in the war, saying:
“I would like to tell one more thing: that in less of two years we went from the stage of ‘[you have] no cards’ to the stage of ‘don’t play your cards.’ It’s a true recognition of Ukraine. And that’s the true achievement. And our lesson learned.”
That’s obviously a reference to Trump’s comments during that infamous meeting with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
‘Doors to the EU are open for you,’ German minister tells Miliband
Oh, they are enjoying taunting Miliband about Brex-turn.
Germany’s Wadephul declares with a massive grin on his face that “the doors [to] the European Union are open for you,” although he caveats that by adding “the key is in your hands.”
And that concludes this panel.
We should hear from more ministers during the day, including Spain’s José Manuel Albares and Ukraine’s Andrii Sybiha soon.
Poland’s Sikorski says “what is at stake is Europe’s status in the global division of power.”
“Whether the triumvirate that is trying to divide the world into spheres of influence is composed of the US, China and Russia … and we are just suppliers of data and tourist attractions, or whether we are that third leg.”
Ministers gets asked a slightly unusual question about what Europe could look like in 20 years.
Miliband gives a pretty personal answer:
“I don’t have a crystal ball, but I know what we need to do, and that is to fight for our values, and that is the most important thing.
I talked at the beginning about my parents, both of whom were Jewish refugees. They saw a world torn apart, and then they saw people who fought for values of freedom, democracy, multilateralism, the rule of law. And, more than at any other time since my parents were refugees, we see those values under threat.
And the truth is, I can’t describe the exact world that we’re going to live in, but I know that fighting for these values across all fronts, whether it is standing with Ukraine, whether it is against Russian aggression, in Europe and elsewhere, whether it is on issues like climate and others, that is absolutely what we all need to do.
And also, I know Britain isn’t in the European Union, but I know that Europe’s role in this- and I’m a proud European – Europe’s role in this is absolutely fundamental to keeping a world order that we would recognise and that would actually be doing the right thing for our children.”
He once again refuses to be drawn in on whether the UK should be back in the EU.
Poland’s Sikorski responds to a direct challenge from the audience on why the EU is not doing enough on the issue of frozen Russian assets.
He says “we have been frustrated about this for years.”
He adds:
“Belgium says a thing that is reasonable, namely, that when the Russians sue them, they cannot be left with the liability on their own. We are working the European Commission is working on finding a legal instrument that will spread some of the risk, and I hope we arrive at it as soon as possible.”
Norway’s Espen Barth Eide again gets the closest to criticising Trump as he mounts a powerful defence of the international criminal court, now once again sanctioned by the US, saying it’s a key part of the global accountability setup.
“It’s good to have rules, but there must also be consequences of breaking the rules, because otherwise, why do you really have these rules?”
On hybrid attacks, he says there needs to be a discussion on how to answer to “sub-Article 5” incidents (that’s a reference to Nato’s Article 5).
“We realise that just saying that if you do that again, we’ll issue a strongly worded statement doesn’t really, you know, suffice.”
Miliband comes back to the issue of frozen assets in the Q&A.
He says “we stand ready to work with the EU” on this question as he ducks an extra question on whether the UK could come back to the EU.
But he also says Europe should take “the so-called hybrid warfare” – which he defines as “disinformation, misinformation, espionage, cyber-attacks” – “much, much more seriously and look at all the tools at our disposal to counter.”
Sikorski goes domain by domain, saying why he thinks Russia is not winning the war, as he points out that “a country without a navy has blockaded a country with a powerful navy,” and that Russia is “completely stuck” on land and in the air.
“The Russians are trying to terrorise cities. … Does it lead to the moral collapse? It doesn’t. You can kill a lot of people. You can commit a lot of war crimes. But it doesn’t end the war.”
Norway’s Espen Barth Eide says Russia appeared to be convinced by their own propaganda, whereas in reality the Russian forces are recording “massive losses” with “very little military gains.”
He warns that “every sign like the diesel deal will be exaggerated and used as a sign that they’re beginning to sow division among Ukraine’s best friends.”
UK’s Miliband says the UK and allies have to “make sure that we do everything we can to supply [Ukraine] with the defensive equipment they need,” moving “on a number of fronts.”
“We need to move forward on the fiscal front. And we’ve talked about the frozen assets but making sure that we meet the fiscal needs of Ukraine to sustain them through the winter and beyond.”
He also says there is need to help Ukraine with energy for this winter, and with increasing sanctions on Russia.
On his recent visit to Ukraine, he says:
“My overall impression from my visit, and I’m sure others will testify to this, is both the barbarity of what Putin is doing, but also the resolve of the Ukrainian people. I think the resolve is a truly incredible resolve.”
He also says, repeatedly, that Putin is “not winning this war,” despite his ministers not telling him the truth about the situation on the frontline.
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