Overview

• President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will give nothing and forget nothing to Russia and called for stronger European action to secure a fair settlement.
• The Washington Post reported that Trump special envoy Steve Vitkoff urged Ukraine at the White House to hand over Donetsk, citing the region’s largely Russian‑speaking population.
• The Post also reported that Vladimir Putin told President Trump he would end the war if Ukraine surrendered Donetsk, with purported willingness to yield parts of occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
• Some White House officials viewed the reported demand as narrower than earlier stances, while a military analyst disputed that interpretation and said Moscow still seeks full control of Donetsk.
• Zelensky’s Oct. 17 meeting with President Trump focused on arms supplies, with Axios reporting Trump declined Tomahawk missiles, and Kyiv moved to convene a new session of the European-led Coalition of the Willing as a Trump–Putin meeting in Budapest was announced.