Donald Trump has stated that his plan to end the war in Ukraine has been 'fine-tuned' and is dispatching envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Vladimir Putin, alongside Army Secretary Dan Driscoll for talks with Ukrainian officials. Trump also indicated that his son-in-law Jared Kushner might join the Witkoff-Putin meeting, expected next week in Moscow.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump retreated from his earlier Thursday deadline for Ukraine to accept a US-backed peace plan, saying, 'The deadline for me is when it’s over.' He downplayed the requirement for Ukraine to cede territory, suggesting Russian forces would likely seize it anyway. Trump added that he would meet Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy only when a deal is final or in its final stages.
Meanwhile, a recording obtained by Bloomberg reveals Witkoff advising a senior Kremlin official on how to pitch a peace deal to Trump. In the 14 October call with Yuri Ushakov, Witkoff suggested congratulating Trump and framing discussions optimistically, offering insight into the origins of a controversial 28-point peace proposal.
On the ground, Russian forces launched a mass drone attack on Zaporizhzhia late Tuesday, injuring 12 and damaging buildings and vehicles. This followed a missile and drone strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that killed seven and injured 21 in Kyiv. Nato jets were scrambled after two Russian drones crossed into Romania; one returned to Ukraine, while the other crashed in Puieşti.
Leaders of Britain, France, and Germany expressed support for Trump’s peace efforts after a 'coalition of the willing' meeting, stressing that any solution must involve Ukraine fully. They reiterated that 'borders must not be changed by force.' Separately, a decree signed by Putin calls for consolidating Russian language and identity in occupied Ukrainian territories, aiming for 95% of the population to identify as Russian by 2036.
French authorities arrested three people suspected of spying for Russia and promoting war propaganda, as investigations continue.
