American and Russian officials say arrangements are being made for Ukraine peace talks in China next month involving Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, but without any Ukrainian representation.
Asked whether he would meet Putin and Xi without Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump said he would do "anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody is there or not".
Secretary of state Marco Rubio confirmed there had been "talk of a meeting", and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that while the prospect of such a meeting had been mentioned, "no substantive proposals or agreements” have been discussed.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha criticised the idea of peace talks without Kyiv, saying it would only embolden Putin.
Trump was also asked about Zelensky saying the president was “on the wrong side of history” with the Russia diesel deal, to which he responded: “Zelensky doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Zelensky’s a man that should have this war settled a long time ago.
“To be honest, I think it’s time for someone else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.”
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Key Points
- US officials plan to travel to Norway, Russia for Ukraine talks, say sources
- Trump claims Zelensky ‘never wanted to end war’ as rift deepens with Kyiv
- Trump hits out Zelensky and says Ukraine has 'given us nothing'
- Russia strikes 28 energy critical energy facilities
- Zelensky discusses speeding up supplies of Patriots with Lockheed Martin
South Korea to withdraw some embassy staff from Ukraine
11:00 , Namita SinghSouth Korea on Tuesday said it will withdraw some staff from its embassy in Kyiv, deepening a diplomatic row over Ukraine's announcement last month of a transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war that Seoul says was meant to be secret.
The diplomatic dispute between the countries began after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed the prisoners’ transfer during a 23 September speech at the United Nations. South Korea has accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement, but Ukraine denies the countries reached such a deal, further angering Seoul.
South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine earlier this month in protest. Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told local media at the time that Kyiv remains open to "constructive dialogue" and that "diplomacy must prevail over emotions".
South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson Park Doosoon said that the withdrawal of additional embassy staff was due to Ukraine's "lack of constructive steps" to address Seoul's grievances as well as concerns about safety amid intensifying Russian attacks.
What should the UK and Europe do as Trump abandons West?
10:00 , Namita SinghTrump’s plan for talks about Ukraine in China without Ukraine is the latest in his sabotage campaign for Vladimir Putin, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley - and Europe and the UK need to act.
Trump has finally abandoned the West for Putin. This is what UK and Europe must do
Russia says it hit cargo vessels and logistics hubs in Ukraine
09:00 , Namita SinghThe Russian military struck three cargo vessels in Ukraine's port of Reni and another cargo vessel en route to Odesa, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram.
It also said it hit two logistics hubs in the Volyn region and in the city of Khmelnitskiy.
The Russian defence ministry claimed all the vessels and the logistics hubs were being used for military purposes.
Zelensky travels to Norway for talks on war and security
08:00 , Namita SinghUkraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky is arriving in Oslo on Tuesday for talks on the war in Ukraine and European security, the Norwegian government and co-host Finland said.
Reuters reported on Monday that US president Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Norway this week for a round of negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine, and that Zelensky and European representatives were expected to attend.
"President Zelensky has asked Norway and Finland to arrange a meeting as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts, at a critical time for Ukraine," Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement.
Finland's president Alexander Stubb said he will attend meetings with Zelensky and Stoere to discuss "Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and the overall security situation in Europe”.
Zelensky, Stubb and Stoere will hold a press conference later on Tuesday, Norway said.
The statements from Norway and Finland made no mention of any US or European delegations.
Russian airstrike kills three in Kyiv region
07:50 , Namita SinghAn overnight Russian airstrike killed three people and injured another six in the region surrounding Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, the area's emergency service said on Telegram on Tuesday.
Russian forces struck a production and warehouse building where a fire was later extinguished, the emergency service said in the post.
Belarus bars entry to some goods from Latvia
07:00 , Namita SinghBelarus, one of Russia's closest allies, said on Monday it was barring the entry of a number of goods from neighbouring Latvia because of the Baltic state's "unfriendly" relations.
Belarus's government had slapped the ban on a range of products including canned fish and various industrial goods, state news agency Belta said.
"This decision was taken in connection with the Latvian side maintaining an unconstructive approach and unfriendly rhetoric in relation to Belarus," Belta quoted the government decision as saying.
Latvia closed its border with Belarus in July.
Like Belarus's other neighbours, Latvia has encountered difficulties with Minsk over mass attempts by migrants to cross the Belarusian border into the European Union.
Belarus denies colluding or encouraging migrants from other countries to attempt to cross its borders into the EU.
Led by president Alexander Lukashenko since 1994, Belarus has long been accused of human rights abuses subject to Western sanctions. Lukashenko allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory to help launch the 2022 invasion of Ukraine but has declined to commit his country's forces to the conflict.
US yet to authorise delivery of latest Nato weaponry package to Ukraine – sources
06:00 , Namita SinghSecretary of defence Pete Hegseth has yet to authorise delivery of the latest package of US weaponry purchased by Nato allies under a program known as PURL, a source told Reuters.
The source could not confirm whether the shipment included Patriots.
The relationship between the US and Ukraine has nosedived in recent weeks, after Donald Trump announced a deal to purchase Russian diesel and temporarily waived some sanctions in a bid to lower fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections.
The US president has accused Zelensky of refusing to hold peace talks with Russia and in his latest broadside on Monday said that maybe it was time that the Ukrainian leader "get somebody else to negotiate." Zelensky has consistently said he is ready for talks.
US officials plan to travel to Norway, Russia for Ukraine talks, say sources
05:03 , Namita SinghUS president Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Norway this week for the next round of negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Two of the people said they expected Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to attend the meetings. Another person familiar with the matter said Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was expected to take part in the talks, was sick and would attend virtually.
The Oslo discussions are expected to include Zelensky, Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store, representatives of the E4 – made up of Britain, France, Germany, and Poland – the European Union, and Nato.
Witkoff is also set to travel to Russia to meet president Vladimir Putin, two of the people familiar with the matter said. The Russian conversations are going to focus on a range of topics related to Ukraine as well as the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who was jailed in Russia in 2022.
Senators hold call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky
04:03 , Namita SinghSenators who organised a call with Volodymyr Zelensky said he confirmed that critical Starlink services remain degraded, impeding Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian drones.
Republican senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said in a statement that Zelensky also reported disruptions to US intelligence sharing concerning early warning of Russian ballistic missile launches.
"As a result of these disruptions, civilians - children - are dying," the senators said.
The senators participated in the call after the Trump administration waived sanctions against Russia approved recently by Congress.
The senators said that Democrats and Republicans understand what will happen if Russian president Vladimir Putin faces no consequences, and they remain committed to Ukraine and European allies trying to end "the slaughter in Russia's war of aggression".
"Zelensky reiterated his willingness to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities as President Trump has proposed, but only if Putin agrees to the same - a fair request," they said.
Russia strikes 28 energy critical energy facilities
03:00 , Harriette BoucherRussia has struck 28 substations and other critical energy facilities across Ukraine in another wave of attacks.
At least 550,000 households lost power overnight, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“Restoration work is underway everywhere, and electricity is gradually being restored to people.
“Grateful to every repair crew, all employees of energy companies—men and women alike.”
Both Russia and Ukraine have ramped up attacks on energy facilities after Donald Trump’s energy ceasefire collapsed.
Comment: Why a mysterious Russian satellite is threatening to spark a space war
02:00 , Harriette BoucherIf Russia were to detonate a nuclear weapon in low orbit, it would be a game-changer – an escalation in conventional military strategy that would kill no one directly. More alarming still, it would not require the industrial capacity Moscow lacks, but rely on technology it already possesses, says missile defence expert Dr Sidharth Kaushal
Why a mysterious Russian satellite is threatening to spark a space war
Trump claims Zelensky ‘never wanted to end war’ as rift deepens with Kyiv
01:00 , Harriette BoucherDonald Trump has claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky “never wanted to end” the war with Russia as he escalated his attacks on the Ukrainian president.
Over the past few weeks, the relationship between the US and Ukraine has rapidly declined after Washington announced it would pause sanctions on Moscow and import fuel.
The rift between the two powers deepened on Sunday when Trump posted on Truth Social that Zelensky “doesn’t want to end this war”.
He said: “Frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him, and that crooked Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.”
Read more:
Trump claims Zelensky ‘never wanted to end war’ as rift deepens with Kyiv
Watch: Ukrainian drone attack on St Petersburg and Leningrad region
Tuesday 20 October 2026 00:00 , Harriette BoucherBulgarian court approves arrest warrant for two Germans over Starlink fire
Monday 19 October 2026 23:00 , Harriette BoucherA Bulgarian court approved the issuance of a European arrest warrant for two German citizens accused of setting fire to SpaceX Starlink antennas near Sofia, a spokesperson told Reuters.
Prosecutors allege the two entered Bulgaria from Serbia on 9 October 9, spent several hours in the country and later returned to Serbia. They are accused of setting fire to Starlink antennas at the Plana Teleport facility south of Sofia.
If convicted, they face between three and 12 years in prison, Bulgarian state news agency BTA reported. The ruling can be appealed within three days
Ukraine uses Starlink terminals extensively for battlefield communications and installs Starlink receivers in many of its drones as part of their guidance systems
Other countries have blamed Russia-linked sabotage for similar fire incidents. Moscow says such accusations are baseless and the result of anti-Russian hysteria
Zelensky discusses speeding up supplies of Patriots with Lockheed Martin
Monday 19 October 2026 22:00 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has discussed ways of speeding up supplies of the Patriot system, vital to countering Russia ballistic missiles, with representatives of the US company Lockheed Martin.
The Ukrainian leader said it is the company’s “Patriot systems and F-16 planes that play an important role in defending against Russian ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones.
“And things are not easy on both fronts right now. We talked about how we can expand and increase supplies,” he added.
“The company is currently ramping up production of ballistic missile interceptors. We count on the opportunity to purchase some of them to protect more lives.
“We are also trying to do everything possible to ensure that F-16 maintenance and repairs are carried out in Ukraine.”
Homeland Security grants temporary deportation reprieve for more than 100K Ukrainians and Sudanese
Monday 19 October 2026 21:15 , Harriette BoucherMore than 100,000 people from Ukraine and Sudan can stay in the United States without immediate risk of deportation, the Department of Homeland Security said, in what amounts to a temporary reprieve after their right to stay in the country was set to expire Monday.
Temporary Protected Status was set to end Oct. 19 for about 101,000 Ukrainians and 1,800 Sudanese. But DHS said an announcement “will be made at the appropriate time.” Until then, the department said in a written statement, Ukrainians and Sudanese in the U.S. covered by those temporary measures “retain protection.” The Department did not indicate how long they could stay or when a final announcement would be made on their status.
DHS did not respond to a question about whether they can keep their work permits, but TPS generally allows people to work while their protections remain in effect.
Homeland Security grants temporary deportation reprieve for more than 100K Ukrainians and Sudanese
Trump hits out Zelensky and says Ukraine has 'given us nothing'
Monday 19 October 2026 21:12 , Harriette BoucherDonald Trump has said it may be time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine, as he hit out at Kyiv for “giving us nothing”.
He told reporters: “We’ve given a lot to Ukraine, they’ve given nothing to us...We’ve given hundreds of billions of dollars. I gave the Javelin [missiles] to Ukraine. That was me. [Barack] Obama gave them pillows.
“All I want is for Russia and Ukraine to stop that stupid war.”
Asked if he would meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to discuss the end of the war without Zelensky there, he said: “Anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody is there or not.”
Trump was also asked about Zelensky’s comments, in which he said the president was “on the wrong side of history”.
“Zelensky doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” the president responded. “Zelensky’s a man that should have this war settled a long time ago.
“If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago and had a million people living from his side.
“To be honest, I think it’s time for someone else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.
“Maybe it’s time for Zelensky to get someone else to negotiate.”
Zelensky says he spoke with Pope Leo after plea for cooperation with Russia
Monday 19 October 2026 20:30 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has said he discussed the crisis in Oleshky with Pope Leo, who has urged both Ukraine and Russia to deliver aid to the besieged town.
We reported earlier that the pontiff had asked the Ukrainian president to cooperate with Vladimir Putin in providing a safe passaage for humanitarian aid into Oleshky.
Pope Leo had called Putin on Friday, when he also urged for a ceasefire.
President Zelensky said on Monday: “I spoke with Pope Leo XIV and wished His Holiness a full and speedy recovery following his surgery.
“I briefed him in detail on the situation with Russian escalation and Russia’s constant strikes on Ukrainian cities and communities. We also discussed the humanitarian catastrophe in temporarily occupied Oleshky. We are working to help our people there. We are preparing decisions.
“His Holiness informed me about contacts with the Russian side on this matter. Of course, we also discussed all the current security challenges and threats, including the periodic lack of warnings from our partners about Russian ballistic missile attacks – something that has happened three times recently.”
'Savage' Russian attack on park kills toddler in stroller
Monday 19 October 2026 19:45 , Harriette BoucherA toddler and an 11-year-old are among six people who have been killed in a “savage” Russia attack on a park in the Kharkiv region.
Vladimir Putin’s forces targeted the park with Shahed drones and injured another fourteen people, including six more children.
A one-year-old girl named Angelina was in her stroller when she was killed, and her mother, Inna, later died in hospital, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Another 11-year-old girl was also murdered, along with three others.
Sharing photos from the attack, the Ukrainian leader said: “These are horrific photos, but behind them are shattered lives and the truth about this war. Lives must be protected. Ukraine needs air defence.
“You can't think about making money with Russia as long as it continues its asinine war. We ask that sanctions on Russia stay in place as long as the killings continue.
“It is Russia that has insisted on continuing the killing all this time. The world has enough strength to stop the war. That strength must finally be used – against the murderers.”
Watch: Ukraine will 'not prevail' if Trump sides with Russia
Monday 19 October 2026 19:05 , Harriette BoucherTrump claims Zelensky ‘never wanted to end war’ as rift deepens with Kyiv
Monday 19 October 2026 18:35 , Harriette BoucherDonald Trump has claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky “never wanted to end” the war with Russia as he escalated his attacks on the Ukrainian president.
Over the past few weeks, the relationship between the US and Ukraine has rapidly declined after Washington announced it would pause sanctions on Moscow and import fuel.
The rift between the two powers deepened on Sunday when Trump posted on Truth Social that Zelensky “doesn’t want to end this war”.
Read more:
Trump claims Zelensky ‘never wanted to end war’ as rift deepens with Kyiv
Pope Leo urges Zelensky to cooperate with Russia on aid for Oleshky
Monday 19 October 2026 18:05 , Harriette BoucherPope Leo has urged Volodymyr Zelensky to cooperate with Vladimir Putin on delivering aid for the Russian-occupied Oleshky.
The pontiff had called Putin on Friday to urge a ceasefire and request safe passage for humanitarian aid into the besieged Ukrainian town of Oleshky.
Russia’s leader agreed to cooperate with the Vatican to help organise vital supplies.
A statement from the Holy See said: “The Holy Father recalled the grave situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and made reference to the request for a humanitarian ceasefire that he had presented to the President of the Russian Federation”.
The Pope also expressed his hope that “cooperation between both parties will allow for the delivery of food and medical aid”, as well as for the “voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population”.
In pictures: Drone rescues Ukrainian soldier from frontlines
Monday 19 October 2026 17:34 , Harriette Boucher
Ukrainian soldier rescued from frontlines by drone in first-of-its kind operation
Monday 19 October 2026 17:09 , Harriette BoucherUkraine has carried out the first medical evacuation with a drone after an injured soldier was rescued from the frontlines.
Its armed forces claims that the “historic” mission was a world-first when it shared footage of the comrade strapping himself in to the drone and being flown away.
A 92nd Brigade programmer who was involved in preparing the operation wrote on Telegram: “Due to intense enemy drone activity and the presence of landmines, evacuation using conventional unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) was impossible.”
He said specialists decided to take on “the challenge of attempting something never done before: evacuating a serviceman using an aerial drone.
“The craft used was a heavy-lift hexacopter from the Ukrainian manufacturer Gurzuf Defence, provided by the company free of charge.
“The operation was a success—the wounded soldier was rescued! He is currently undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, and his life is no longer in danger.”
Ukraine faces 'obstacles' in obtaining missile interceptors, minister says
Monday 19 October 2026 16:30 , Daniel KeaneUkraine is facing "obstacles" in obtaining interceptors critical to repelling Russian ballistic missile attacks, foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
He did not provide details in his statement on X.
"Cutting Russian war revenues and ensuring uninterrupted deliveries of air defence systems and ballistic missile interceptors must be treated as urgent, connected priorities," Sybiha added.
Ukraine received no warning of Russian ballistic missile strike, says Zelensky
Monday 19 October 2026 15:30 , Daniel KeaneUkraine received no advance warning from its partners of a Russian ballistic missile strike overnight, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, after Moscow launched one of its biggest air assaults in months.
Russia fired 16 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and the surrounding region and more than 200 drones across the country in attacks stretching from Kharkiv and Dnipro in the east to Odesa in the south and Volyn and Rivne in the west.
The strikes killed a woman in Kyiv and two more people in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, officials said.
"Another Russian ballistic missile attack came in several waves overnight, and once again, there was no early warning from our partners," Zelensky said on the Telegram app.
"When deliveries of missiles for Ukraine's air defence are blocked while Russia is granted relief or delays in sanctions, this is, unfortunately, a denial of reality on the part of our partners."
