Overview
- The White House said a productive Rubio–Lavrov call made an in-person meeting unnecessary and that no Trump–Putin summit is planned in the near term.
- Moscow signaled it will not accept an immediate halt to fighting, with Sergei Lavrov reiterating opposition to a ceasefire and maintaining maximal demands over the Donbass.
- European leaders and Volodymyr Zelensky issued a joint statement backing negotiations that start from the current line of contact and pledging more economic pressure on Russia, including moves to use frozen sovereign assets.
- EU energy ministers approved a phased stop to Russian gas and LNG on spot markets, banning new contracts from January 1, 2026, ending short-term deals by June 17, 2026, and long-term contracts by December 31, 2027.
- Trump said he is trying to reach an agreement to end the war and voiced optimism, even as he questioned Ukraine’s chances of victory and held off on providing Tomahawk missiles, while Russian state TV shifted to openly mocking him.