Ukraine, Trump: Moscow and Kyiv are close to reaching an agreement, which will also affect Europe

“As far as the peace talks are concerned, we need to be realistic. We must be very cautious about Russia’s true intentions.” Donald Tusk made these remarks in an interview with the daily newspaper *La Stampa* just a few days ahead of the negotiations scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine. “In winter, Putin may have fewer incentives to reach an agreement,” explains the Polish Prime Minister, who is convinced that Putin will use the colder months to intensify the fighting. “The last thing we want is for Western Europe to negotiate with Russia at the expense of Eastern Europeans,” emphasised the Prime Minister, who is unhappy with the E3 format, which excludes Warsaw from the talks. “We have many formats,” explained Tusk, “such as the European Union and the Coalition of the Willing. We have a clear position. I am fully involved in these processes.” From next week, Poland will host the Coalition of the Willing’s large-scale exercise in preparation for a possible deployment in Ukraine, if and when peace is restored. “The exercise does not mean there will be a ceasefire any time soon,” the Prime Minister cautions, “but we want to be ready. The exercise will help us prepare in practical terms for potential security guarantees. Poland will play an important role in logistical support but, as I have said many times, we will not be sending troops to Ukraine.” Tusk then went on to discuss the risk of possible acts of sabotage or incursions: “We are fairly well prepared for this sort of action. The problem is if Russia were to use drones on a massive scale against us – armed drones. That is why we are stepping up our defence systems in this area.” According to Tusk, the threat could take various forms: “It is very difficult to distinguish between hybrid warfare, cyber warfare and these provocations near Kaliningrad. We may see all these things happening simultaneously.”

Il primo ministro polacco Donald Tusk accoglie la presidente del Parlamento europeo Roberta Metsola presso la sede della Presidenza del Consiglio a Varsavia, in Polonia, il 5 novembre 2026. EPA/LESZEK SZYMANSKI POLONIA OUT

The emergency response centre for the Krasnodar Krai, in southern Russia, has reported that a fire broke out at one of the facilities in the town of Afipsky following the crash of a Ukrainian drone. The authorities have not specified which facility was damaged, but according to an analysis of publicly available information by the Telegram channel Astra, the fire is believed to have occurred at the Afipsky refinery, which has a production capacity of 9.1 million tonnes of oil per year. According to eyewitness accounts from local residents, smoke engulfed the area around the refinery and the plume of smoke reached the regional capital, Krasnodar, which is about 20 kilometres away.

One person has died following a Russian attack this morning in the Rivne region, Oleksandr Koval, head of the Rivne Regional Military Administration, reported today. “A man has died following an attack this morning in the Rivne region. The attack took place in one of the villages in the Sarny district,” Koval said, as reported by the Ukrainian news agency Interfax.

The Russian Armed Forces have struck an electricity storage facility in the town of Bila Tserkva, in the Kyiv region, which, according to Moscow, was supplying facilities belonging to the Ukrainian defence industry. This was announced by the Russian Ministry of Defence, which reported a series of night-time drone attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and logistical targets.

“Following the attacks, an electricity storage facility in the town of Bila Tserkva, in the Kyiv region, which supplied electricity to facilities belonging to the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, was hit,” the ministry said in a statement. According to the same source, Russian forces continued their drone attacks overnight against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and vessels used to support the Kyiv armed forces. Furthermore, according to the Kremlin, the Russian army also struck a vessel carrying dual-use material – for both civilian and military purposes – in the Ukrainian port of Odessa. No details were given regarding the vessel’s nationality, the nature of its cargo or the extent of the damage caused.

“I had a long conversation with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, about the situation regarding the Russian attacks. Every day, Russia kills our fellow citizens, and Ukrainians know all too well how painful every loss of life is. Last month, a terrible tragedy on the railway in Toledo, Spain, claimed dozens of lives. I expressed our condolences to the Prime Minister and to all those who have lost family members and loved ones.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote this on X. “Throughout all these years of war, Spain has consistently helped and supported us. And here is a new military aid package worth 437 million euros from Spain. Thank you! We discussed its contents and our most urgent defence needs,” added Zelensky. “I briefed him on the Russian attacks on our critical infrastructure: energy, logistics and railways. Our electricity grid and water supply are under constant attack. The situation is difficult, especially in Kyiv, and any humanitarian support is also very important. I thank Spain and Pedro personally for their support.”

“We are very close to an agreement between Russia and Ukraine.” Donald Trump made this statement in the Oval Office, adding that “it will be a great deal that will also involve Europe”. The President also said that he had met Vladimir Putin’s special envoy at the White House today, but not the Ukrainian delegation. “There will be a deal; it will be a great deal and will cover much more than just Ukraine,” Trump emphasised. “It will be a truly important deal, one that goes beyond Ukraine; it could involve the whole of Europe. It will be a great and magnificent deal, and everyone will be thrilled by it.” As for the meeting at the White House with Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev, he clarified: “I cannot tell you what we discussed.” The US president also said he had asked Vladimir Putin to “stop attacking Ukrainian civilians”. Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, Trump added that “the Russians are also losing civilians”.