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  1. 1

    Trump lifts sanctions on Russian fuel supplies, drawing criticism from lawmakers including Republicans

    President Donald Trump has waived sanctions on Russian fuel supplies, a move that Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama and Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa criticised as they urged him to use a bipartisan law to penalise Russia over its war in Ukraine. Britt said Russia was at its weakest point in the war and that pressure should increase. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said enforcing the sanctions now would impede US efforts to negotiate a peace agreement, and that the president can reinstate them at any time. Reuters reported that Russian diesel shipments are returning to Türkiye and Brazil after Moscow lifted its export ban on 9 October, a development that gives Moscow fresh revenue as its invasion continues.

    Key facts

    • Russian diesel exports averaged about 345,000 barrels per day in 2026 so far, down 41% year on year.
    • Trump said Russia would initially export 300,000 metric tons of diesel, rising to 1 million tons afterward.
    • Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said exports could reach 3.5 million metric tons monthly by year-end.
    • Türkiye took about 34% of Russian diesel loadings this year, Brazil 24% and Morocco 10%, Kpler data showed.
    • EU and UK embargoes on Russian fuel imports remain in force.

    Commentary

    The sharper story is the fuel-price motive behind the waiver: Trump is trading Russian supply relief for lower pump prices before the midterms, while the White House cites peace talks to resist pressure on Moscow. Ukraine bears the cost.

    Sources: Semafor, Euromaidan Press

  2. 2

    Zelensky and US envoy Witkoff discuss ceasefire proposals and security guarantees in Oslo

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on Tuesday, with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb also attending. Zelensky said the sides discussed proposals for different ceasefire formats, security guarantees and Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. He said the American side had reaffirmed that the guarantees would be reliable, and that Ukraine would receive a response within a day on a document Witkoff is to deliver to Russia. Witkoff is then due in St. Petersburg to meet Russian leadership, Interfax-Ukraine reported. The talks come as relations between Kyiv and Washington are strained, Foreign Policy reported, after Ukraine lost Starlink access and an energy-strike truce was scrapped.

    Key facts

    • Zelensky said he would only accept talks on Ukraine's future if Ukraine takes part in them.
    • Zelensky backs a mutual energy ceasefire only if Russia also stops attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
    • Trump said on October 11 that an energy ceasefire had taken effect; Zelensky said he had been unaware of it.
    • Russian forces attacked energy infrastructure in ten Ukrainian regions during the night and morning of October 17.
    • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly not yet authorized a substantial Patriot interceptor shipment to Ukraine.

    Commentary

    What moved is Zelensky's conditional offer: he will accept an energy ceasefire only if Russia reciprocates and Washington supplies interceptors, shifting the burden of the truce onto Trump. The predictable part is another round of talks; the unresolved part is whether delayed Patriot approvals, which Kyiv reads as pressure, decide if any truce holds.

    Sources: Xinhua, Ukrinform, UNITED24 Media, Foreign Policy

  3. 3

    Iran's president says US must lift sanctions and end threats before any negotiations

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Washington must end pressure and threats and lift sanctions before any talks. He blamed US warmongering for regional tensions and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, and said Americans must explain why they started the war. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the visit by Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, focused mainly on bilateral ties, though some exchanges involved negotiations. Pakistan has mediated since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28, but diplomatic efforts remain stalled. Munir said negotiations did not mean weakness or surrender, and said a transport route disruption had been resolved by Tuesday morning.

    Key facts

    • Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Field Marshal Asim Munir.
    • Munir's visit is his fifth to Iran since the April ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported.
    • The 60-day period of the 14-point Islamabad MoU expired in mid-August without an extension.
    • Iran says the US failed its commitments and has kept the Strait of Hormuz closed.
    • Trump pledged not to strike Iran before the US midterm elections on November 3.

    Commentary

    The sticking point is sequencing, not the existence of talks: Tehran wants Washington to move first on sanctions and the blockade, while the expired MoU timetable offers no agreed order of steps. Pakistan's mediator is carrying these conditions to both sides, so the visit is unlikely to break the deadlock on its own.

    Sources: Anadolu Ajansı, Al Jazeera, A News, WANA News Agency

  4. 4

    French PM Lecornu Calls Paris Riots an Insurrectional Plot and Deploys Military Support, as Curfews Extended

    French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on the 20th that recent arson, looting and violence were a premeditated insurrectional plot by far-left and ultra-left forces, and vowed not to tolerate efforts to advance on the Élysée Palace and Matignon Palace. Protesters on the 17th tried to enter those buildings and the National Assembly. Interior Minister Laurent Nunuèz said Sentinelle counter-terrorism units would back up police so officers could focus on maintaining order. The New York Times reported that partial curfews in several cities would be extended through Tuesday night after the largest riots in years. The unrest is linked to anti-high-cost-of-living protests that have spread to Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Albania, where Italy has sent 500 military personnel to Milan.

    Key facts

    • Yellow Vests organisers warned of another large-scale demonstration on the 24th.
    • Sentinelle units number 10,000 and guard airports, train stations, schools, tourist sites and religious facilities.
    • 5,000 protesters occupied Milan's Duomo Square last weekend, according to reports.
    • Portuguese housing prices rose 124% over 10 years from 2015, twice the EU average.
    • Meloni said: "Protesting is a right, but burning cities is not."

    Commentary

    The government's framing of the Paris violence as a premeditated insurrection, not a protest, is the choice that matters: it justifies calling in counter-terrorism units rather than relying on police alone. The spread across six countries points to cost of living as the shared grievance, which the rhetoric about rioters exploiting protests does not address, so military deployments may contain disorder without ending its cause.

    Sources: 조선일보, Facebook

  5. 5

    EU delays response to US sanctions against the International Criminal Court

    EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc will not introduce immediate measures against U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court for now, arguing that further consultations are needed, according to Politico as reported by UNN. Nearly 60 MEPs had urged the European Commission to apply the blocking statute, which would shield European companies from foreign sanctions and restrict compliance with U.S. requirements within the EU. Kallas said applying the mechanism requires legal justification and warned that using it would give the EU only one chance. The U.S. sanctions include a 180-day transition period from October 9, which European officials plan to use for negotiations and legal assessment. Kenneth Roth, writing in The Guardian, argued that the EU should invoke the blocking statute, and said the sanctions were imposed after court personnel charged Israeli officials.

    Key facts

    • Nearly 60 MEPs called on the European Commission to apply the blocking statute.
    • Kallas said applying the blocking statute requires careful legal justification.
    • U.S. sanctions provide a 180-day transition period starting October 9.
    • Washington has already sanctioned nine judges and the ICC prosecutor, according to UNN.
    • Kallas warned that state withdrawals from the ICC could undermine international justice.

    Commentary

    The predictable part is the delay; the real question is whether the EU can act before the 180-day window closes. Kallas's insistence on one correct use of the blocking statute signals caution over Dutch banking exposure, which Roth identifies as the main obstacle. Those who want faster action will need to show the legal basis holds.

    Sources: Українські Національні Новини (УНН), The Guardian