On Oct. 16, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said to lawmakers in Berlin that he was willing to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a “just” peace in Ukraine.
Scholz said that he would “if asked” speak to Putin, but that no decisions would take place without the input from Ukraine or other Western Allies.
German media reported in recent weeks that Scholz was more willing to speak with Putin about ending the full-scale conflict in Ukraine. The two leaders haven’t spoken since December 20, 2022. That was the same year that the leaders of the U.S. and France last had direct contact.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, claimed earlier in October that Moscow hadn’t received a proposal from Scholz or Putin to meet.
The statement was made two days after German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Bärbock stated that Putin would not be willing to speak with Scholz regarding the brokering of peace in Ukraine.
“He refuses peace and sends a signal every day in favor of destruction and war.” He is not even willing to talk to Scholz on the phone anymore, said the German Foreign Minister.
Since Baerbock’s and Peskov’s comments, it is unclear if anything has changed regarding a possible conversation between Scholz & Putin.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he would “if asked” speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but that no decisions would take place without the input from Ukraine or other Western Allies.
The first reaction of Ukrainian lawmakers to Zelensky’s presentation of Ukraine’s victory plan in parliament on October 16 was to praise the overall agenda, but criticize what they deemed to be a lack of concrete steps.
The Defense Ministry stated that the drone is resistant to electronic warfare from Russia and can adjust artillery fire thanks to its “high-tech materials”.
In an interview published by Tengrinews.kz on October 16, a government spokeswoman said that Kazakhstan’s President has “carefully” considered proposals to join BRICS, but Astana won’t seek to join “in the near future”.
According to HUR’s report, Ukrainian soldiers captured an area of Russian battalion defence, destroyed three motorized-rifle battalions, Storm platoons, and a reconnaissance unit of Russia’s Seventh Separate Motorized Rifle Regiment.
Ukrenergo, the state-owned energy firm in Ukraine, said later that day that the outages had been caused by “technical” reasons that were not specified and that repairs are underway. The energy supply will resume “within a few hours.”
CNN reported on October 16 that U.S. president Joe Biden will meet with the leaders of Germany France and the U.K. later this week in Berlin after his earlier trip was postponed because of Hurricane Milton.
Sebastien Lecornu, French Defense Minister, said on October 16 that France has successfully tested its first kamikaze drones and will be delivering them to Ukraine in the “coming weeks”.
After a conversation with his counterpart in the U.K., Tony Radakin Commander-in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that they discussed the possible of hitting Russian military objectives “in operational depth and strategic depth.”
In a media interview published Oct. 15, a Polish Minister said that Poland could condition Ukraine’s entry into the EU on the resolution of Volyn’s massacre, as joining the EU is not a question of survival for the country.
“Different capabilities; different wars; different regions.” Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokesperson, said that the commitments to Israel and Ukraine were also different.
According to the statement, 60 drones “were lost” in electronic warfare across a number regions, and 20 drones flew over Ukraine as of the date of publication. Two more drones flew toward Russia.
“Such a step would also show a new level desperation on the part of Russia, as it continues to suffer significant losses in its brutal war with Ukraine,” White House National Council spokeswoman Sean Savett stated.
This includes 1,450 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
On October 15, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov declared that local authorities will conduct mandatory evacuations for residents of the city of Kupiansk and three adjacent communities due to the ongoing Russian advance in the region.
The Spanish police seized 13 tons of prohibited chemical substances, including “possibles” chemical weapons precursors, bound to Russia on October 15, according to the national police.
A poll conducted by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology (KIIS), released in recent months, found that President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to enjoy the trust of six out of ten Ukrainians.
After Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, 81% young German respondents expressed concerns about the possibility of wars in Europe. This is a sharp increase from 46% in 2019
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, announced on October 15 that he invited President Volodymyr Zelensky to present his plan for defeating Russia during a summit this week of EU leaders.
On Oct. 15, former President Donald Trump declined to confirm whether he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin after leaving office in 2021, but said: “If I did it, it was a smart thing.”
Read More @ kyivindependent.com