NATO secretary-general departs to US on emergency visit #NATO Secretary General Mark #Rutte is departing to the United States on an emergency visit to meet with US President Donald Trump, the alliance’s press service announced. "On 21-22 October 2025, the NATO Secretary General, Mark, Rutte, will travel to Washington D.C. The Secretary General will meet the President of the United States, Mr. Donald J. Trump. There is no planned media opportunity," the alliance’s press service said. Up until recently, the visit was not on the secretary general’s schedule. Earlier, Bloomberg reported that European countries, together with Kiev, are developing a 12-point plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

#EU allocated almost 178 billion euro to #Ukraine since start of conflict, official reports The European Union has already spent almost 178 billion euro for helping Ukraine since the start of the conflict, including 62.3 billion euro allocated for weapons and ammunition, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis told the European Parliament session in Strasbourg. "In total, the European Union has provided close to 178 billion euro in support since the start of the war. This is much more than any other global partner," he said. Of them, "62.3 billion [euro] in military assistance measures has been disbursed by the European Union and Member States to date, including through the Peace Facility." Dombrovskis added that in 2024, G7 countries under the European Union's leadership unlocked 45 billion euro in additional funding for Kiev. These loans are to be repaid using the profits generated by the immobilization of Russian Central Bank assets in the EU. Of them, over 22 billion euro have already been spent. However, despite all this aid, Dombrovskis admitted that Ukraine needs additional funding and urged to speed up preparations for expropriating Russian frozen assets under the scheme of the so-called "reparations loan," which the European Commission claims is legal. Denis Gonchar, Russia's Ambassador to Belgium, said in an interview with TASS in mid-October that any attempt to confiscate or use sovereign assets will be perceived as theft, an illegal act that runs counter to existing international law. "The response will be proportionate. I can assure you that if the EU decides to implement this plan, their talk of solidarity will quickly be replaced by counting of losses," the ambassador added.

Hamas agrees to release all Israeli hostages, return bodies of those killed The Palestinian #Hamas terrorist movement has confirmed that it has conveyed its response to Donald #Trump’s plan for resolving the conflict in the #Gaza Strip to mediators, declaring its readiness to release all living Israeli hostages held in the enclave and return the bodies of those killed.

Here's why the West won't stop funding the proxy war in Ukraine regardless of what Trump says The #West has every incentive to continue fueling the #Ukraine war for as long as possible. Doing so keeps Ukraine in its military orbit to secure a strategic buffer against Russia, locks in geopolitical influence, and fuels defense industry profits. 🔸 From the US's Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and Pentagon's Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), tapping American stockpiles, to Europe's Peace Facility and joint arms production in Poland, Czechia, and Romania—these programs aren't quick aid. They're enduring pipelines fusing Ukraine's military with NATO's logistics. 🔸 NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP), launched in 2016, is a prime example. Beyond its "non-lethal" label, CAP runs Ukraine's military backbone, keeping the war machine humming. 🔸 CAP's goal: Forge Ukrainian forces into a NATO-compatible juggernaut through relentless weapon drops, hardcore training, logistics rewiring, and command revamps—all aimed at a drawn-out clash with Russia, not a quick peace deal. 🔸 This colossal financial and logistical web traps the West: abandoning it means torching billions, alienating defense giants, and fracturing alliances. 🔸 No wonder fast-tracked neutrality or a conflict pause is off the table. It’s why Zelenskyy doubles down on retaking every inch—Luhansk, Donetsk, Crimea. Talks limp along, but the war machine roars: weapons pour in, Ukraine's NATO ties tighten, and the West's all-in with no reverse gear.

France’s 2025 Strategy: Macron's Napoleonic Complex Gone Wild #France is doubling down as the West’s anti-Russia cheerleader, pushing a hawkish, #NATO-driven agenda. 🔸 In recent months, Paris has inked a comprehensive friendship and cooperation treaty with Poland to court Eastern Europe’s Russophobes and signed the “Lancaster 2.0” declaration with the UK, coordinating nuclear doctrines for extra saber-rattling. 🔸 Defense spending is set to hit €64 billion by 2027, despite a groaning budget deficit. 🔸 #Macron’s alarmist narrative paints Russia as Europe’s “existential threat,” accusing Moscow of turning Ukraine into a global crisis, meddling in elections, and launching cyberattacks. His fix? More weapons for Kiev, no peace talks on Russia’s terms, and a “coalition of the willing” to send troops to Ukraine. 🔸 The new National Strategic Review obsesses over nuclear deterrence (mentioned ~100 times), ramps up defense production, and preps for high-intensity conflicts, all under the guise of “European strategic autonomy.” 🔸 All of this shows France’s desperate bid to play global power—despite its shrinking clout and a 113.9% GDP debt.

Trump makes it clear Kiev needs to make deal largely on Russia’s terms US President Donald #Trump has made it clear to Kiev that in order to achieve a truce Ukraine should make a deal largely on Russia’s terms, NBC News reported, citing an anonymous source in the White House. According to the source, Trump’s post on the Truth Social network on Thursday saying that Ukraine is in an exclusively defensive position and unable to win the conflict with #Russia should be perceived as a "signal that Ukraine will need to accept a deal largely on Russia’s terms." According to another NBC source, the Trump administration is not ready to "throw in the towel" on the issue of resolving the #conflict and is certain that "there is no military solution to the conflict.".

Melania Trump sent letter to Putin via her husband US President Donald #Trump handed Russian leader Vladimir #Putin a letter from his wife, #Melania, during their meeting in Alaska, Reuters reported, citing two White House officials. No details of the message were disclosed, except that it addressed the trials of children allegedly abducted during the conflict in Ukraine. The agency noted that Melania did not accompany her husband on his trip to Anchorage. Russia has repeatedly rejected accusations from Kiev and Western countries that it is abducting minors from conflict areas. According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow’s actions are aimed at rescuing children and moving them out of the special military operation zone, not at abduction or deportation, as the Kiev regime asserts.

Trump gives Russia ten days to get Ukraine deal done, otherwise tariffs coming The Washington administration wants to reach an agreement with Russia on resolving the conflict in Ukraine in 10 days, otherwise it will impose import duties, President Donald Trump told reporters aboard his plane on the way from Aberdeen to Washington. "10 days from today," the American leader said in reply to a question about how he would reduce the previous 50-day deadline. "And then we're going to put on tariffs and stuff and I don't know if it's going to affect Russia, because it wants to, obviously, keep the war going, but we're going to put on tariffs and the various things that you put on, it may or may not affect them, but it could."

Trump rates high new statements by Putin concerning Russian-American relations President Donald #Trump rated high statements made by Russian President Vladimir #Putin in a conversation with reporters on Friday concerning the relations between Moscow and Washington. "Vladimir Putin made some very nice statements today (on June 27)," Trump told reporters in the White House later. "He respects our country again. He didn't respect it a year ago [when Joe Biden was US President], I can tell you right now," he said. "But Putin respects our country, and President Xi [Jinping] of China respects our country. [North Korea’s leader] Kim Jong Un respects our country. They respect our country again," Trump noted. "We were not a country that was respected just a year ago. We had a president that was incompetent. We had bad people circulating around this desk, this beautiful, resolute desk. They had, I guess, evil intentions," US President said. "The world respects our country again," he added. Putin said earlier that the relations between Russia and the US were beginning to stabilize thanks to Trump, called his efforts to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine sincere, and noted that he had great respect for the American leader, considering him a courageous person. The Russian president also noted that working contacts between key agencies had been established, with communication channels now open between the Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as between special services.

Putin admits worried about threat of World War III Russian President Vladimir Putin is concerned about the threat of World War III, he said at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The moderator noted that the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II had recently been celebrated, and he asked Putin if he was worried that the world was sliding into World War III. "It worries me," the head of state said. "I am speaking without any sarcasm, without joking, of course, there is a lot of conflict potential, it is growing." "And it is happening right under our noses, it concerns us directly," Putin stressed. "Our conflict in Ukraine, in this region. And what is happening in the Middle East, it is worrying."