At the start of the EU summit, Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a further increase in funding for Ukraine. “I advocated in various smaller meetings this morning that we do everything we can to help Ukraine over the winter and next year too,” said the CDU leader in Brussels. “We will have to increase the resources here again in order to really provide lasting help to Ukraine.” He didn't get any more specific.
Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said during a visit to Brussels in September that his country's regular budget for next year was missing $32.6 billion (29.1 billion euros). He put the gap in defense spending at $45 billion (40.1 billion euros). Ukraine's financing is secured for the current year.
A throttling of military-used satellite internet in Ukraine has reportedly been lifted after just over a day. The fast movement functionality of the Starlink military package - Starshield - has been restored, several Ukrainian media reported, citing sources in the Defense Ministry. However, the authority is continuing to examine the circumstances and reasons for the restriction that occurred on Wednesday, it said.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas supports the continuation of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. “The majority of Russian war financing comes from oil revenues,” said the former Estonian head of government at the EU summit in Brussels. “We need to pressure Russia to end the war – not Ukraine to capitulate,” she said.
Ukraine wants to resume attacks on Russian oil refineries. In an interview with the Financial Times on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: "The ban is lifted. We're done." Kyiv initially suspended the attacks after pressure from Washington. Russia, on the other hand, continued to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Britain's Finance Minister John Healey is calling on his counterparts at the International Monetary Fund's annual meeting in Bangkok to toughen sanctions on Russia's shipping. The British government is also providing £17 million for repairs to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The US has proposed that European states release some of the Russian state assets blocked after Moscow's attack on Ukraine and transfer them to an instrument overseen by Washington. European delegates rejected the plan.
Fire broke out after an explosion on a merchant ship in Romanian waters near the border with Ukraine. It is still unclear whether the cause was a hit by a drone. The crew was able to put out the fire themselves.
After criticism from Ukraine, US entrepreneur Elon Musk points out that the Starshield satellite network is owned and controlled by the US government. Ukraine had previously accused Musk's company SpaceX of restricting satellite use for Ukraine.
French right-wing populist Marine Le Pen says France cannot continue to provide financial support to Ukraine. France is in an extremely problematic economic situation.
Ukraine says it did not attack a Russian oil refinery this Wednesday, contradicting information from Moscow. The Ukrainian military attacked a data center and another target in Russia.
At least 20 Bangladeshi nationals, who are said to have been lured to Russia under false promises of work, have been killed as live “bait” in the Ukraine war. This was reported by a special unit of the Bangladesh police in Dhaka.
In view of recent attacks on civilian ships off the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called for pressure to be maintained on Russia and not to give Moscow any economic gifts.
During a visit to Estonia, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on the members of the alliance to provide more help for Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia. “As winter approaches and Russia’s continued aggression, allies must do more, particularly to support air defense,” he said.
