Oct 29, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC

The European Union has officially extended its sanctions regime against Russia as the conflict enters its 1,663rd day. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned a Russian attack on a train near the border with Poland, characterizing the action as an attempt to intimidate European allies and sow division.

Simultaneously, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Kyiv and Moscow agreed to stop targeting energy facilities. On the front lines, violence persists. Shelling in Ukraine's Kherson region left two dead and 14 wounded, while drone strikes in Sochi and Belgorod injured seven people in Russia. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree formally removing Ukraine's prosecutor general from office.

Sources: CDM (Cafe del Montenegro).

US President Donald Trump has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a settlement to end the war before winter. Following discussions with both leaders, Trump stated that he believes Putin wants to reach an agreement, adding that both sides need to find common ground.

Zelensky characterized his meeting with Trump as "positive and productive," noting that Washington and Kyiv share the goal of stopping Russian aggression soon. The Ukrainian leader suggested the conflict could reach its final stages in the coming months. Trump reiterated his alignment with Zelensky on several issues while emphasizing that direct negotiations remain essential to ending the war.

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

Russian forces launched additional drone strikes against Kyiv overnight, injuring a resident following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address at the United Nations General Assembly. In response to ongoing hostilities, Moscow's defense ministry announced an intensified campaign targeting Ukraine's energy grid. Simultaneously, Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries disrupted domestic supply, forcing Russia to purchase petrol from foreign sources.

In Western Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the European Union "will not tolerate attacks on EU soil" after German investigators tied two suspects to Moscow regarding explosive drone incidents near Leipzig. European officials are reviewing potential responses to counter hybrid threats across member states.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called on Kyiv to begin technical and administrative preparations for future national elections, despite current martial law preventing voting. Fedorov, who was dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, warned that waiting for hostilities to end before initiating logistics could significantly delay democratic processes.

Key operational hurdles include establishing secure voting mechanisms for millions of Ukrainian refugees abroad, internally displaced persons, and active military personnel deployed along the front lines. While President Zelensky's administration considers holding elections during active conflict impossible, Fedorov argued that establishing infrastructure early will ensure operational readiness whenever security conditions permit.

Sources: Le Monde

European Union diplomats have agreed to extend sanctions against nearly 3,000 Russian individuals and entities supporting the war in Ukraine, averting an automatic expiration of the measures. The decision followed a brief diplomatic standoff after member states including France, Slovakia, and Luxembourg requested the removal of business figures Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the asset freeze and travel ban lists.

Alongside the individual listings agreement, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg approved a new, record-sized economic sanctions package targeting Russia's war machine. The broad financial restrictions aim to sustain European economic pressure on Moscow amid shifting transatlantic dynamics.

Sources: Correctiv, Der Standard, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau.