Russian Invasion Negotiations

Experts: Russia feels a sense of hope – likely quite satisfied

Pressure from the White House on Ukraine is giving Russia hope that European support, too, might begin to waver. This is according to Natia Seskuria, an expert on Russia at the British think tank Royal United Services Institute, speaking to CNN.

John Lough, a director at the think tank New Eurasian Strategies Centre—which has bases in both London and Washington—concurs. He notes that Donald Trump’s recent decisions indicate that the U.S. and Europe are not pulling in the same direction.

“I think the Russians must be quite satisfied right now.”

Russia and Ukraine: Agreement on a ceasefire in Oleshky

Ukraine and Russia have confirmed an agreement for a temporary ceasefire in the famine-stricken, Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, near Kherson, Reuters reports.

The ceasefire is set to begin on October 27, at which point emergency aid will be delivered and residents evacuated via humanitarian corridors.

Both sides also confirm that Melania Trump played a significant role in securing the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. have agreed to hold tripartite talks at the official level in Abu Dhabi next month. 

International Response
Russian diesel bound for the US passes off the coast of Gotland

A vessel carrying 40,000 tonnes of Russian diesel is passing near Gotland on Saturday morning, en route to the United States, reports SR Ekot.

The diesel is part of an agreement reached between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to purchase up to 500,000 metric tonnes of diesel from Russia.

Reuters reports that a total of three vessels have begun their journey to the US. One of them, identified as the *Agioi Fanendes*, is passing just off the coast of Gotland early Saturday.

Mattias Lindholm, press officer for the Swedish Coast Guard, tells Ekot that they are closely monitoring the vessel traffic—primarily to keep watch over maritime activity and to prevent spills.