Warnings on Russian strikes return

Zelensky said at a press conference in Oslo on 20 October, after meeting US negotiator Steve Witkoff, that Washington again shares all intelligence about incoming Russian bombardments. He said warnings for some recent attacks had failed to arrive, and Ukraine depends on them to defend itself in time. He had made the same complaint on Sunday, 18 October, and again a day later about a missing alert before a heavy Russian missile strike. In a call with US foreign minister Marco Rubio, the two discussed deliveries of Patriot missiles, which Ukraine needs for its air defence. Rubio acknowledged that some Patriots had not been delivered but denied any deliberate political decision, calling it a balance between obligations to other partners and US needs. The missed warnings, according to the account, stemmed from technical problems rather than politics.

Starlink and strained ties with Washington

Ukraine's army also struggles with SpaceX's Starlink satellite network, which hampers the control of drones. Zelensky said on 19 October that these problems had not yet been fixed, while the White House denied imposing deliberate restrictions. Relations between Zelensky and Donald Trump have cooled, with Trump angry about Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and blaming Zelensky for high energy prices. Zelensky says he will halt those strikes only if Russia leaves Ukraine's energy supplies alone, and Trump has barely pressed Putin to agree.

Kremlin keeps a three-way meeting open

The Wall Street Journal reported that Putin, Xi Jinping and Trump were weighing a meeting, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that such a hypothetical encounter had come up. Peskov said the three leaders may attend the APEC summit in China in November 2026, but that nobody had made specific proposals or agreements about a conversation or its content. Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha criticised the idea on Monday, 19 October, insisting that Ukraine be involved in all negotiations. He wrote on X that a trilateral meeting of Ukraine, the US and Russia could help end the war faster, while a Russia, China and US meeting would encourage Putin to continue the war. Witkoff then travels on to Russia, where a Russian minister has warned him not to expect political concessions.

Trump raises an American held in Russia

Trump told reporters at the White House that he had spoken with Putin about freeing an American held in Russia for more than four years. The man was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine in April 2022, and a Moscow court convicted him as a mercenary and sentenced him to more than six years. Russian state media said he had worked at a Ukrainian military checkpoint, while The New York Times reported that he had served in the US Air Force and the National Guard. Trump had earlier linked his decision to ease sanctions on Russia to hostage negotiations, without naming the hostages. According to The New York Times, the State Department treats this American as the only US citizen it considers wrongfully detained in Russia.

US election concerns

The Washington Post reports that a small group of national security officials has quietly advised states on preparing for possible election interference by Trump, speaking with both Democrats and Republicans. The officials said their concern is not party preference but a growing worry that Trump is harming American democracy. The effort focuses on states where the midterm congressional elections in early November look tight. At a campaign event Trump pointed to violent protests in France and claimed a similar scenario could happen in the US if Republicans lose the midterms, offering no evidence. France has seen its worst unrest in years after huge protests against the high cost of living.