Back to square one?: After Wednesday’s meeting between Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, the Kremlin says Russia is "in principle" ready to resume trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the US in mid-November, with Abu Dhabi emerging as a possible venue, my colleague Sasha Vakulina reports.
But we have been here before. Moscow has repeatedly entertained negotiations without softening its maximalist demands, Sasha writes. This time appears no different: Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has suggested that proposals Witkoff brought from his talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo offered little Russia considered useful.
Witkoff, meanwhile, called Putin a "humanitarian" following the release of an American detainee. A reminder: The Russian president is wanted by the International Criminal Court over the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of at least 20,000 Ukrainian children.
A separate summit involving Trump, Putin and China's Xi Jinping is also under consideration, potentially to discuss Ukraine's future without Kyiv at the table. Whether it will take place, or how it relates to the proposed peace talks, remains unclear.
Zelenskyy told Fox News last night that Ukraine could accept a ceasefire along the current front lines without recognising Russian sovereignty over occupied territory — a position Kyiv has articulated before.
Despite the diplomatic flurry, the fundamental positions have so far barely shifted.
Stubb’s role: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russia could welcome Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s involvement in peace negotiations, provided he avoids simply “parroting” Europe’s position on Ukraine.
Stubb took a leading role in this week’s talks in Oslo along with his Norwegian counterpart, and has been among the names floated as a potential EU envoy to future peace talks. But the Kremlin now seems to be dictating the terms under which Stubb can take part in the talks before they even start.
Trump accused of taking sides: Meanwhile, former US Army lieutenant General Ben Hodges told my colleague Shona Murray that President Donald Trump is taking Russia’s side and deliberately undermining Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia.
"He was never going to support Ukraine, and was going to take the Russian side, the signs were all there," Hodges tells Euronews, adding that he does not “trust” the US administration. More.
Explosive mix: At the same time, the fight over the next EU budget is becoming rapidly intertwined with the search for additional support for Ukraine, Jorge Liboreiro writes.
Next month’s extraordinary EU summit, originally planned to advance the budget talks, has been extended to two days from 26-27 November to incorporate Ukraine. The stakes are fast rising.
The change of agenda follows President Zelenskyy’s request for an additional €70 billion in military and financial support for 2027. EU leaders have agreed to address the massive shortfall, but Brussels is urging other allies, such as the UK, Canada, Norway, Australia and Japan, to increase their donations so the bloc isn’t left bearing the brunt.
The next step is for the European Commission to determine how much of the €70 billion the EU will have to fill. The calculation will then help design options to raise the money. As we told you earlier this week, joint debt seems like the likeliest avenue, even if it’s costly amid sky-high borrowing costs.
Costa’s move: ahead of the special summit, European Council President António Costa will present a new compromise on the EU budget. The political process has barely moved, as leaders remain split in opposing camps (“Frugals” vs “Friends of Cohesion”). “For Europe’s stability, we must approve our next long-term budget by the end of this year,” Costa said yesterday, in a new appeal to member states.
Costa’s compromise will pay close attention to the so-called new own resources, the EU-wide taxes meant to bring additional revenue to the budget. Luca Bertuzzi breaks down some of the options on the table.
EU diplomats are split on whether the EU budget and funding for Ukraine should be addressed as one package. The spectre of next year’s French presidential election also looms over the debate. “The fact is that these are the most pressing issues for the remainder of the year, definitely,” one diplomat said.
Weidel’s plan: Meanwhile, the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Alice Weidel presented her plan to radically reform the EU during a visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Emboldened by a major victory in Saxony-Anhalt's regional election last September, the AfD is currently topping the national polls.
"Our aim is to assume government responsibility after the next federal elections,” Weidel said. My colleague Vincenzo Genovese breaks down Weidel’s plan, and compares it to the one unveiled by France’s Marine Le Pen in Brussels last week.
Milei reignites war of words with Sánchez as Spanish PM declares himself ‘leftie and proud’
Javier Milei let it be known he had arrived in Madrid on Wednesday.
The Argentine libertarian launched a tirade against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as he began a visit to the Spanish capital. Milei, who has blamed socialism for Argentina’s economic malaise and cultural decline, accused Sánchez of acting like a dictator.
His visit comes amid a highly polarising political campaign ahead of the 29 November election, with Sánchez positioning himself as the last bastion against what he calls the ultra-right and a coalition of reactionary forces, including Milei.
At a breakfast event, the Argentine president called Sánchez a “shameless dictator” and suggested the Spanish prime minister was fuelling an “invasion” in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave that saw a mass border breach from neighbouring Morocco in July.
"The socialists would rather reign in hell than serve in heaven. That is why they encourage the invasion. Every immigrant is a vote. If the price to pay is the destruction of the country, they are more than willing to pay it,” he said.
Christina Thykjaer and Maria Tadeo have more analysis.
More from our newsrooms
EU prosecutors raid far-right group's offices in €4 million funds scandal. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) raided the offices of the far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE) group in Brussels and Strasbourg on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the alleged misuse of millions of euros in EU funds. The searches are linked to an investigation into the former Identity and Democracy (ID) group, which included France’s National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen and Italy’s Lega, led by Matteo Salvini. Vincenzo Genovese has the story.
EU journalism prize awards investigation into human rights abuse at Italy’s migrant centres in Albania. An investigation highlighting human rights violations at Italy’s controversial migrant centres in Albania won the European Parliament’s Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for journalism on Wednesday. The report is titled "Cuffed, caged, cast away: this is Europe’s ‘innovative solution’ for unwanted migrants" and questions the legality of the centres, which have become a source of inspiration for European migration policy. Vincenzo has more.
In apparent swipe at Trump, Macron slams 'stupid comments' by foreign leaders on France protests. France's President Emmanuel Macron has criticised world leaders who he said were campaigning for upcoming elections "at France's expense" with "unacceptable and even stupid comments" about the country's riots last weekend. Estelle Nilsson-Julien has more.
Europe weighs energy-saving measures as Middle East crisis deepens. EU governments could ask households and businesses to cut their energy use as the war in the Middle East drives up prices and threatens oil and gas supplies, according to a document seen by Euronews. Marta Pacheco has the details.
We’re also keeping an eye on
- European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos attends the Berlin Process Leaders' Summit in Montenegro.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa meet with the President of Vietnam Tô Lâm.
That’s it for today. Sasha Vakulina, Jorge Liboreiro, Luca Bertuzzi and Vincenzo Genovese contributed to this newsletter.