Oct 12, 2026, 08:00 PM UTC

U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an agreement ending the conflict prior to the onset of winter. Speaking after a telephone conversation with Putin, Trump expressed confidence that the Russian leader is open to a resolution, stating, "He wants a deal, and if Zelensky wants a deal, that would be great."

Following his own discussions with Trump, Zelensky characterized the dialogue as "positive and productive," indicating a mutual desire between Kyiv and Washington to stop the aggression in the near future. Although both sides conveyed optimism regarding diplomatic momentum, neither leader has detailed explicit conditions or a timetable for potential negotiations.

Sources: Diário de Notícias (DN), Expresso, Jornal Económico, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)

The European Union has renewed sanctions against Russia following a missile strike on a train near the Ukrainian-Polish border. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated the attack was aimed at intimidating European countries.

The move comes alongside claims from US President Donald Trump that Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to temporarily stop attacks on energy infrastructure. However, combat operations persist across several regions. Local officials reported that Russian shelling in Kherson left two people dead and 14 injured, while Ukrainian drone strikes reportedly injured seven individuals in Belgorod and Sochi.

In domestic political developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree dismissing the nation's prosecutor general.

Sources: CDM

The United States Department of Justice has unsealed federal charges against five alleged operatives of a Russian intelligence network accused of plotting assassinations and sabotage across Europe and North America. Court documents filed in Manhattan indicate the suspects attempted to hire individuals to conduct surveillance and murder people supporting Ukraine, including orchestrating a June 2024 assault in Prague. All five accused remain at large.

Simultaneously, Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service stated at a Copenhagen security conference that Russian state actors carried out sabotage operations targeting Danish defense firms supplying military materiel to Ukraine. Officials described the actions as an escalation in Moscow's hybrid campaign against nations supporting Kyiv.

Sources: BBC News, France24, OCCRP, Sweden Herald, The Guardian.

Russian forces carried out nearly 60 bombardments targeting five districts across Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region over a 24-hour period, local emergency officials reported.

The attacks resulted in at least five civilian deaths and left 16 people wounded. Kamianske district suffered the heaviest casualties, with three fatalities and five injuries reported. In Pavlohrad district, shelling caused two deaths and seven injuries. Additional injuries and widespread infrastructure damage occurred in Nikopol district, where emergency crews battled several blazes caused by the strikes.

Rescue workers continue operations across the impacted zones to clear debris, assess the full extent of the destruction, and treat the wounded.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally rejected a 15-point Gaza peace framework proposed by US President Donald Trump, stating that Israeli troops will not pull out from the enclave until Hamas is "genuinely disarmed".

Addressing his cabinet in televised comments, Netanyahu insisted that the military will maintain operations to neutralize threats against its forces, despite a recent slowdown in offensive actions following diplomatic pressure from Washington. The rejection comes as Netanyahu navigates domestic political pressure ahead of Israel's national election on October 27, balancing demands from right-wing coalition allies against relations with the White House.

Although Hamas accepted the US-backed framework in late July, Israel's refusal leaves international peace negotiations at a standstill.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, France24, STV News, The Guardian, The Herald