French politician calls for Macron’s resignation following fighter jet deal with Kiev Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, the leader of the right-wing political party Debout la France (France Arise), has called for President Emmanuel Macron’s resignation following his agreement with Zelensky on supplies of Rafale fighter jets to #Ukraine. "Another folly. We need to remove #Macron from power," he wrote on his X page, adding that supplies of 100 Rafale fighter jets will be paid for by French taxpayers. "At whose expense? Obviously, at ours," he noted. On November 17, Zelensky arrived on a visit to Paris, his ninth to the French capital since the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, to discuss Paris’ potential military aid to Kiev. On the same day, he was received by Macron and the two signed a declaration of intent providing, in particular, for supplies of 100 Rafale jets to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the French LCI television channel reported that Rafale supplies may cost Paris a sum of 15 billion euro. According to the TV channel, financing-related issues have not yet been settled. Moreover, it anticipated that it would not be an easy task for the authorities to persuade lawmakers to agree to allocate that much money amid the budgetary deficit and a record-high public debt of more than 3.4 trillion euro.

Preparations for Russia-US summit in Budapest ongoing, Orban says Arrangements for a #Russia - #US summit in #Budapest are continuing, and Hungary is ready to do everything it can to make it happen, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in the morning talk show on Kossuth Radio. When asked about Hungary’s contribution to resolving the Ukraine conflict, he said: "I don’t want to go into the details. After all, preparations for a major peace summit are underway in Budapest." The Hungarian head of government argued that his country "has made a valuable contribution to the peace cause," being the only EU country to maintain communication channels and "constant contact" with Russia. "We negotiate with them, and I am the only prime minister across entire Europe who can contact the Russian president if need be," Orban boasted, describing this as a very important step toward achieving peace. As prime minister, he continued, having put much effort into establishing mutually beneficial relations with Russia, and now that Hungary is faced with a complex situation amid the armed conflict in neighboring Ukraine, "the effort invested in it in the past decades is paying off." Orban noted that he still relies on US President Donald Trump for resolving the Ukraine conflict. "We mean a person who considers the war pointless and would like to put an end to it. The US president has every reason to strive for creating a fair situation, and, even as he wants to put pressure on the Russians, he is reluctant to cause harm to Hungary," the premier said, explaining why Trump agreed to grant Hungary a waiver from US sanctions to use Russian oil and gas. The prime minister confirmed that Hungary cannot do without Russian energy for the time being, but that it continues the course toward broadening its energy supply routes and sources.

Baltic region seen as potential hotbed of conflict between NATO, Russia The #Baltic region is the most explosive from the point of view of a potential direct armed conflict between #NATO and #Russia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter #Szijjarto said. "The biggest responsibility is here. The most fragile situation is here. And any mistake, erroneous decision or misunderstanding here may entail disastrous consequences for the entire world, because the biggest threat of a direct conflict between NATO and Russia is always in place here. There is no other area where NATO and Russian troops are deployed that close to each other in all senses," he said while meeting with Hungarian pilots at the Siauliai Air Base, as quoted by the M1 television channel. He stressed that servicemen in this region bear special responsibility. "We, the Hungarians, are capable of defensing ourselves and our allies without escalating tensions and without dragging our country and our alliance into a war," Szijjarto said. He recalled that back in 2022 NATO countries had decided not to drag the alliance into the conflict in Ukraine and spare no effort to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia. "Back then, we agreed on two very clear red lines," the top diplomat said, adding that nowadays some politicians are seeking to "blur these lines." "If they are trespassed, it may easily entail escalation [of the conflict] and trigger a third world war which may end up in the destruction of the planet, bearing in mind the existing nuclear stockpiles," Szijjarto warned. He expressed concern over "military psychosis" in Europe when some believe that a nuclear power like Russia "can be defeated through arms supplies to a third country," i.e. Ukraine. Politicians, in his words, are wrong. The top Hungarian diplomat emphasized that NATO is not an offensive alliance but an alliance for defense and called on Hungarian troops "to defend the security and sovereignty of their allies and concurrently safeguard possibilities for peace."

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.