Joe Biden, the U.S. president, arrived in Berlin, Germany, on October 18 to hold high-level discussions with the leaders of Germany and France about Russia’s full scale war against Ukraine and the ongoing conflict throughout the Middle East.
Biden had cancelled previous foreign trips in order to oversee recovery efforts following a series devastating hurricanes that hit the east coast.
“Ready to welcome old friends and strengthen the close alliance we have as we stand united for freedom and against tyranny in the world,” wrote the president on X.
Biden will hold bilateral discussions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier prior to a larger meeting with other leaders.
A senior U.S. Official said that the conversation would focus on the situation in Ukraine’s battlefield, the war’s trajectory, and how allies could best support Ukraine.
There have been many concerns and speculations about the impact of the presidential election next month on U.S. support to Ukraine.
Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, has said that he will “get out” from the war. Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential nominee and current vice president of the United States has pledged to continue U.S. aid.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he will end the war with Russia in “24 hours”, without explaining how he intends to do it. Trump’s inner circle has made some statements and reports that suggest this could mean pressuring Ukraine to cede land or give up its NATO ambitions.
Ukraine and its Western Allies have acknowledged that the U.S. played a crucial role in supporting Kyiv, as its largest aid provider since the start of the full-scale conflict.
Scholz told the German parliament on Oct. 16 that “Germany, the U.S. and Ukraine are the largest supporters of Ukraine for its sovereignty, integrity and democracy.” We will continue to do so.”
“But now is the time to do everything possible to ensure that this war doesn’t continue forever and that women and men are not killed in an unimaginable number.”
Expect discussions on the Ukraine’s Victory Plan, which President Volodymyr Zelensky shared with allies behind closed doors in recent weeks before making it public on October 16.
One of the main tenets is that Ukraine will be invited to join NATO unconditionally. While Western leaders have said repeatedly that Ukraine will join the alliance at some stage, a timetable for its admission has not been made public.
“Ready to welcome old friends and strengthen the close alliance we have as we stand united for freedom and against tyranny in the world,” wrote U.S. president Joe Biden on X.
This includes 1,530 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
The Krakow District Court began the trial of two Russians, Andrei G., and Aleksei, T., who allegedly were hired by the Wagner Group in order to distribute flyers to people in Krakow, Poland, encouraging them to join their organization.
Denys Shmyhal, the Ukrainian Prime Minister, addressed the annual Ukraine Mine Action Conference held in Switzerland on October 17, and urged the international community for increased support to demining efforts.
According to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway has increased its overall support for Ukraine’s Energy Sector to 3 billion Kroner (approximately $274.2 Million) as part of a broader aid program.
Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, wrote that “what (Zelensky), outlined yesterday in Ukraine’s parliament is more than frightening,” and urged EU leaders to begin talks with Moscow as soon as possible.
In an interview with The Washington Post on October 17, Trump blamed the U.S., Ukraine and other leaders for the war. He did not mention Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We refute the insinuations made by unnamed sources, in the Bild magazine, regarding Ukraine’s alleged plan to develop weapons or mass destruction.”
The change could delay the Ukrainian squadron’s readiness for the battlefield by several months.
“We never talked about…that we were preparing to create nukes or something like that,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainska Pravda, citing reliable sources, reported that the person in question was Iryna Alakhverdiieva, from the Servant of the People Party of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department said that the two Chinese companies, Limbach and Redlepus, have been working together with IEMZ Kupol – a subsidiary of Almaz-Antey – a Kremlin-owned arms company – to create drones.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, wrote on X that Greece is ready to continue meeting Ukraine’s most urgent defence needs.
“Either Ukraine has nuclear weapons that will protect it, or they must be a part of an alliance.” “We do not know any other alliance that is as effective as NATO,” Volodymyr Zelensky told Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The legislation approved by the parliament in December was pushed through under pressure from Western partners as well as Ukrainian business associations. The reform is also an important step towards Kyiv’s EU accession.
According to military intelligence, North Korean officials are already in the occupied territory of Ukraine.
“There will not be a war like the one of 1953.” I’m talking about the Korean War. It ended in summer of 2023 in Ukraine when two professional armies with more than a half million personnel each faced off on the battlefield,” said Valerii Zaluzhnyi. He is the current ambassador to the U.K. and former commander-in chief of Ukraine.
In response to a Kyiv Independent journalist, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K. Valerii Zaluzhyni stated that Ukraine needed to change its approach to mobilisation because it still carries Soviet influences. However, much more time was required for a reform to be completed, he said.
“We end up in a protracted state of war.” In my opinion, a protracted war is almost impossible to end, said Valerii Zaluzhnyi. He was Ukraine’s former commander in chief and newly appointed ambassador to the U.K.
On October 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the victory plan included placing conventional missile capability in Ukraine, which would either force Russia into negotiations or destroy their military targets.
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