(updated 11) The Russian President Putin had demanded that the Ukrainian army surrender the remaining Donetsk — i.e., the 21% of territory it occupies...
The Ukrainians refused... but the Russians will take it...
After the fall of Pokrovsk in the south-west of Donetsk and of Kupyansk in Kharkiv, Myrnohrad is falling, Kostyantynivka has been encircled, as well as Siversk in northern Donetsk while the city Druzhkivka is also threatened, as well as the city Lyman.
As long as Ukraine delays accepting its fate and its defeat, it will continue to lose territory, and Russia’s next demand will be for a security zone 30 or 50 kilometres deep into Ukrainian territory, while the capture of the regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa has not been ruled out.
According to Germany and the Chancellor Merz, Zelensky failed in his trip to the United States – he did not get what he wanted.
According to the CIA, the Russians are striking ammunition depots in western Ukraine, inflicting a heavy blow on the Ukrainian army which is being crushed…
Medvedev (Russia): We will win and Ukraine will surrender, that will be the outcome
Russia reiterated its commitment to its war demands, which are tantamount to a full Ukrainian surrender, in response to the proposal of the US President on 17 October for peace in Ukraine.
The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Medvedev responded, via his social media accounts, in English and Russian, to the appeal of Trump on 17 October to Russia and Ukraine to “claim victory” in Ukraine.
Medvedev claimed that this appeal does not apply to Russia and that Russia needs a victory “on the terms that everyone knows.”
Medvedev is likely referring to the Kremlin’s pre-war demands for the installation of a pro-Russian government in Ukraine, Ukrainian neutrality and the abandonment of NATO’s open-door policy, as well as the limitation of the size of the Ukrainian army.
Putin will continue the war in Ukraine… without the pressure of Trump
Russian officials broadly reacted to the 17 October meeting between Trump and the Ukrainian President Zelensky, carefully echoing the Kremlin’s information lines aimed at separating Ukraine from Western support and justifying the continuation of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Russian officials expressed cautious optimism over Trump’s decision against supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks at the moment.
The head of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) claimed on 18 October that Trump’s decision against providing Tomahawks to Ukraine was due to his phone conversation of 16 October with President Putin, where it was agreed that Putin and Trump would meet in Hungary, which constitutes a win for Putin.
The CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and key Kremlin negotiator reiterated the bilateral US-Russia economic proposals on 16 and 17 October after Trump’s meeting with Zelensky, continuing efforts to offer incentives for economic cooperation in exchange for Trump abandoning the peace effort, so that Putin can continue his war in Ukraine without US pressure.
WaPo revelation: Zelensky was under suffocating pressure from Witkoff to concede to Putin’s demands for Donetsk
The special envoy of President Trump, Steven Witkoff, during a meeting with the Ukrainian delegation last Friday 17/10, pressured Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to concessions to President Vladimir Putin regarding the DNR region.
As revealed by The Washington Post, citing sources, Witkoff pressed Zelensky to accept concessions concerning the transfer of areas under Ukrainian control in the Donetsk province.
According to the newspaper, during the meeting between Zelensky and Trump “he pressed the Ukrainian delegation” regarding the hand-over of areas controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The special envoy of Trump noted that the region is “mostly Russian-speaking”.
The newspaper also cited that in a phone call with his American counterpart Donald Trump, President Vladimir Putin demanded the full transfer of control of the entire Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) into the Russian armed forces.
The report characterises this demand as a “less extensive territorial demand” compared to what the Russian President had expressed in August 2025 during the summit with Trump in Alaska.
Earlier, the Federal Assembly had revealed how Putin truly perceives Zelensky.
Finnish accusations – Member of Parliament blasts President Stubb for his anti-Russian rhetoric: “Get down to earth and change your policy…”
The statement by the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, regarding Russia surprised Armando Mema, a member of parliament from Finland’s nationalist-conservative party “Aligned Alliance,” who publicly criticized him, recalling one of his posts on the social network X.
“President Stubb, who had declared that Russia understands only strength, is now calling for peace with Russia.
And this comes after Trump’s excellent work toward the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine,” wrote Armando Mema.
In his original post on TikTok, he had written, “I have never seen someone so inconsistent with their own voters.
The failure to negotiate earlier with Russia resulted in the loss of many Ukrainians.”
According to Mema, “the ideology of viewing Russia as an enemy has failed, so Stubb should now change his stance, see what is really happening, and adopt a genuine policy.”
Seven million people protested in the US against Trump’s policies… with the slogan “No Kings”
Almost seven million people participated in the “No Kings” protests against the policies of US President Trump in the United States.
“Almost seven million Americans gathered for one of the largest national-level protests in US history… in more than 2,700 cities and towns,” said the organisation No Kings.
The American authorities have not yet officially published data on the number of protests in the country.
Thus, two million more people attended gatherings on Saturday compared to the first wave of these demonstrations.
Meanwhile, one of the organisers of the protests in central Chicago, the NGO Indivisible Chicago Alliance, stated that up to 250,000 people participated in the protest in the city.
On 18 October 2025 protests were held in the US under the slogan “No Kings”, including in Washington.
The first such rallies took place on 14 June, coinciding with a military parade and the 79th birthday of the President.
Trump, commenting on Fox News about the upcoming protests against his policies, said that he does not consider himself a king.
Zelensky admitted to Merz that he did not achieve what he wanted in his meeting with Trump…
German Chancellor Merz stated that Zelensky was not satisfied with his visit to the United States, as reported by N-tv.
“The visit did not go as Zelensky wanted,” he said, referring to a conversation with the head of the Kyiv regime.
Merz added that he would support European aid to Ukraine.
Trump met with Zelensky in Washington on October 17, 2025.
As CNN reported, during a “direct and honest” conversation, the President of the United States made it clear to the leader of the Kyiv regime that he would not be receiving long-range Tomahawk missiles.
Axios, for its part, wrote that the negotiations were difficult and that the American leader was tough.
One of the outlet’s sources even said that “they went badly.”
Other Western media also noted that Zelensky failed to obtain Tomahawk missiles.
Zelensky (Ukraine): Trump did not give a definitive answer on Tomahawk missiles
Ukraine has not received a definitive answer from the President of the United States regarding the delivery of Tomahawk missiles, said Zelensky in an interview with NBC News.
“President Trump has not said ‘no’, but he also hasn’t said yes to this day,” said Zelensky.
On Friday 17/10/2025 Trump met with Zelensky in Washington.
CNN reported that during a “direct and frank” conversation, the US President made clear to the leader of the Kyiv regime that he would not receive long-range Tomahawk missiles.
Axios, on the other hand, wrote that the negotiations were difficult and the American leader was tough.
One source of the report even said it “went badly”.
Other Western media also noted that Zelensky failed to get Tomahawk missiles.
One of the outlet’s sources even said that “they went badly.”
Christoforou (Cypriot journalist): EU and neoconservatives will beg Trump… don’t leave us daddy for the evil Putin
US President Trump’s decision to meet with Russian leader Putin will force European politicians to beg the head of the White House not to make concessions to Putin, said Cypriot journalist Alexandros Christoforou on social media.
“European leaders will be calling Trump nonstop, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the next two weeks.
The Finnish President and the NATO Secretary-General Rutte will probably be on the next flight to Washington and will plead for a meeting with Trump. Message of the Europeans and neoconservatives to Trump:
‘Putin is bad, Orban is bad, please don’t leave us, daddy.’”
Zelensky preparing provocations:
Hungarian analyst Zoltan Koskovic warns that after a failed meeting with Trump, Zelensky may provoke Russia, disrupt the Budapest peace summit, escalate violence, and target pipelines.
Ukraine using OneWeb satellites:
Ukrainian Armed Forces control drones in the Black Sea via British OneWeb satellites as a backup to Starlink. One UAV was reportedly captured by Russian forces. OneWeb satellites operate in medium orbit with broader coverage but are harder to use and more expensive.
Russia tests advanced weapons:
At Kapustin Yar, Russia tested advanced weapons including anti-aircraft systems, interceptor drones, and high-precision weapons. The focus is on improving range, accuracy, air-defense deployment, and drone countermeasures.
Russian advances in Ukraine:
- University of Ottawa professor Kachanovsky predicts Russia will simultaneously capture Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, Kostyantynivka, Siversk, and Kupyansk.
- Scott Ritter claims Russia set a trap for NATO, letting them deploy depots and installations in western Ukraine, which Russia has since destroyed, wasting Western investments.
Russian attacks ongoing:
- Russian forces attacked multiple locations near Kostyantynivka and Druzhkivka.
- A Russian strike destroyed a HIMARS installation and vehicles near Vladimirovka, Chernihiv.
- Russian forces captured 60% of Pokrovsk, maintaining numerical superiority, and Ukrainian forces attempted a local infiltration south of the city.
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