I accepted the letters of credence from the newly appointed ambassadors of Canada, Spain, Switzerland, Egypt, and Türkiye to Ukraine. Different countries and different relations, but each is important to Ukraine. We value the diplomatic presence in Kyiv, alongside our people. Last night, the ambassadors experienced Russian ballistic missile strikes, saw the destruction, and indubitably understand how much Ukraine needs help in protecting lives. Supplies and the strengthening of our air defense – from Patriots to HAWKs – all of this matters every single day. We discussed our efforts to achieve peace and Ukraine’s European integration. We also talked about Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea and the food crisis it is already causing in countries that rely on Ukrainian grain. And of course, we discussed current bilateral issues with all the ambassadors. Thank you for supporting Ukraine.

I met with the Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Juozas Olekas. I thanked the Lithuanian people for their unwavering, strong, and consistent support for Ukraine. We discussed in detail our European integration and the priorities of Lithuania’s presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2027. It is very important that the remaining two negotiating clusters for Ukraine be opened by the end of this year, so that during Lithuania’s presidency we can already begin closing negotiating chapters. I briefed the Speaker on the meetings in Oslo and the overall situation in the negotiation process. We expect the trilateral meeting of the American, Ukrainian, and Russian teams to take place as early as the beginning of November. I am grateful to Lithuania for supporting Ukraine.

I spoke with the newly elected President of Estonia. I congratulated Ülle Madise @YlleMadise on taking office. Ukraine always wishes the people of Estonia nothing but success and the achievement of all their goals. I am grateful for the much-needed and right signals – Estonia’s support in all areas will continue. Estonia is also closely following the diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving peace. I shared details of the talks in Oslo and our communication with the American side following their meeting in Russia. There is an agreement to hold a trilateral meeting at the team level as early as November, and it is important that the meeting is not postponed. Ukraine is ready for negotiations at any time, and our position is that the sooner the talks begin, the better. Of course, like Estonia and other partners, we have always advocated for Europe’s presence in the negotiations. Europe must have a say in all formats that can deliver real decisions. We also discussed the consequences of Russian strikes, particularly on our energy infrastructure and railways. Russia is deliberately trying to destroy our locomotives, and therefore any support that helps increase our rolling stock of this type would be very helpful. Thank you, Estonia!

I met with Prime Minister of Moldova @Vasile_Tofan. We discussed many bilateral issues, first and foremost infrastructure projects that can improve the lives of our people. Of course, we also discussed European integration. Moldova and Ukraine are certainly stronger when we move forward on this track together. And it is important that we carry on together, because it is fair. We also discussed the security dimension: the issue of Transnistria and strengthening our military cooperation – today, the Prime Ministers of Ukraine and Moldova signed a corresponding cooperation agreement. It is important to deliver results for our people and our countries.

Провів селектор по ситуації з постачанням зброї від партнерів та відновленню енергетики після російських ударів. Прем’єр-міністр Сергій Корецький доповів по роботі в регіонах. Дякую кожній ремонтній бригаді, усім енергетичним компаніям, які повністю виконують поставлені завдання. Роботи тривають фактично без перерви, і використовуємо створені резерви обладнання. Розраховую на вчасну й достатню комунікацію МЗС України, Міністерства енергетики та інших залучених структур щодо поповнення цих резервів. Міністр оборони України, Головнокомандувач ЗСУ та міністр закордонних справ доповіли по ситуації з постачанням в Україну перехоплювачів для ППО, передусім «петріотів». Працюємо на кількох напрямках: зі Сполученими Штатами, Європою та іншими партнерами, які мають запас ракет PAC-2 і PAC-3. Зокрема, протягом майже місяця очікуємо на підпис пана Гегсета щодо ракет для «петріотів» та «насамсів». Доручив ще раз проговорити це з американською стороною. Триває розмова і з іншими країнами. Окремо обговорили підготовку до зустрічі «Рамштайну» в листопаді. Важливо прискорити виконання рішень, які на столі вже певний час. Кожен пакет підтримки – це можливість захистити життя людей. Дякую всім, хто реально підтримує і, зокрема, допомагає прискорювати життєво необхідне постачання.

I held a coordination call on the situation with weapons supplies from our partners and efforts to restore energy infrastructure following Russian strikes. Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi reported on the work underway in the regions. I thank every repair crew and all energy companies that are fully carrying out their assigned tasks. The work is continuing virtually nonstop, and we are using the equipment reserves we have built up. I expect the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy, and other agencies involved to communicate in a timely and sufficient manner the need to replenish these reserves. The Minister of Defense of Ukraine, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs reported on the supply of air defense interceptors to Ukraine, first and foremost Patriot missiles. We are working on several tracks – with the United States, Europe, and other partners that have stocks of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. In particular, we have been waiting for nearly a month for Mr. Hegseth to sign off on missiles for Patriots and NASAMS. I instructed our team to raise this with the American side once again. Conversations with other countries are also ongoing. We also discussed preparations for the November Ramstein meeting. It is important to speed up the implementation of decisions that have been on the table for some time. Every support package is an opportunity to protect people's lives. Thank you to everyone who is providing real support and, in particular, helping speed up these critically important deliveries.

The election campaign in Brazil was intense, and many around the world closely followed its developments, key moments, and statements. For us in Ukraine, it is important that Brazil remains active in international affairs and continues to contribute to the effective protection of human rights, the rights of peoples, and the rights of states. We thank Brazil for its unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We look forward to expanding our cooperation and congratulate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva @LulaOficial on his remarkable election results.

There have been changes in Serbia – a victory of the Student List @studentblokade. And this is clearly a new chapter in the history of the country and its people. We wish Serbia success, real development, and warm relations with the European community. We in Ukraine thank Serbia for respecting our people, our state, and our independence. And we always celebrate our shared achievements – everything that strengthens our societies and gives people more opportunities. We are ready to continue expanding our cooperation, and may all the good hopes of the people of Serbia come true!

Our security guarantees are our security guarantees. They cannot be dictated by the Russian side. Restrictions on our army and Ukraine’s neutrality are not up for discussion. The territorial issue is a red line that can only be discussed at the level of leaders. The Americans have long been raising the issue of exchanging territories – they call it “land swaps.” There are also other formats and proposals for discussion. Everyone must understand. First, we are not exchanging anything for anything. We are ready for discussions. If it is the territorial issue, then it must be discussed at the level of leaders. Other issues – at the level of technical groups. So all of this can be discussed in November. From an interview with Alla Mazur for TSN Week on 1+1, as part of the United News telethon. (2/5)

I would not want us to approach a meeting of the three leaders – Ukraine, the United States, and Russia – having lifted all sanctions on the Russian Federation. This is an important point. Sanctions were imposed for aggression, not for an opportunity to have a chat. So if we say that this is the end of the war, there is a certain order for lifting sanctions. I told the American delegation this because I have had this feeling for quite a long time: when we talk about Russia’s loyalty, we should not buy it at such a price. Because without sanctions, we could find ourselves in a trilateral dialogue where we still do not know what will happen next, but the sanctions have already been lifted. And who will have the strength we had at the beginning of the war to impose all those sanctions again? To bring people together in such a way that we could secure more than 20 sanctions packages around the world. That is why I am very cautious about this. I do not want us to find ourselves at a meeting with Putin without tools – without sanctions, without money, or without frozen assets. Because then, as Mr. Trump said, we really would not have too many cards in our deck. From an interview with Alla Mazur for TSN Week on 1+1, as part of the United News telethon. (3/5)

We are ready for trilateral talks between technical groups, which must yield a concrete result. The Americans asked me, “What specifics do you want?” I said, “Look, can the war end in November during a meeting of the technical group?” Without the leaders, it cannot be fully ended. Okay, if that is not possible, then give us an energy ceasefire, the sea, grain, an all-for-all exchange, or a meeting of leaders. Of course, that is a result. A result is an opportunity. Energy, grain, people – these are concrete things, while a meeting at the level of leaders is an opportunity to have something concrete after our trilateral. This is what we are asking for and proposing. We are not demanding it, but proposing it to the American side. Then that would show seriousness. But if this is just a political trick and Putin is simply saying, “Yes, I’m ready,” because he does not want escalation with America before the elections, then we will see very quickly in November whether it was a trick or not. From an interview with Alla Mazur for TSN Week on 1+1, as part of the United News telethon. (4/5)

There were reports on efforts to deal with the aftermath of Russian attacks on our cities and communities. Overnight, Russia used, among other weapons, three ballistic missiles with cluster warheads against Kyiv. These missiles are designed to detonate in the air as they approach their targets, spreading damage across an area 400 meters in diameter. One of them struck Pechersk, Kyiv's historic center, hitting the area between the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the Holy Presentation Monastery. Monastery buildings, homes, shops, cafés, and other civilian infrastructure were damaged. This is another extraordinarily revealing strike – revealing because it was no accident. The choice of weapon was deliberate, the choice of target area was deliberate, and so was the intent to inflict as much loss and damage on civilians as possible. There was no military target nearby, not even in theory, and the weapon was designed to cause widespread destruction. Russia has not changed the way it wages this war, and it is taking no steps that would signal a genuine desire to end it. Throughout the day, air raid alerts have continued in Kyiv and many other cities. So have the strikes. In Kharkiv, a regular commuter train was hit. Dnipro, Marhanets, Mykolaiv, and Kherson, as well as cities and villages in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Rivne regions, came under attack. Russia keeps targeting our energy infrastructure. Since October 11, there have been more than 170 strikes on critical energy facilities, even though we are shooting down a significant number of “shaheds” and some of the missiles. I thank all our friends around the world who are helping us restore our energy system. Our intelligence services report that Russia has set priorities for further terror against Ukrainians in the coming weeks. Russia is clearly taking advantage of the slowdown in air defense supplies from our partners. It is equally clear that when some partners ease the pressure on Russia, it only reinforces Putin's belief that his goals are within reach. We need different signals and different steps – stronger ones. I have instructed the Ministry of Defense, together with the military command and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to brief our partners on every aspect of the real situation and the threats we face, based on intelligence data. It is important to speed up deliveries of defense packages that have already been approved. I thank all the leaders and countries that are helping!

I presented state awards to intelligence officers of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. I congratulated them on their professional day, which was marked in Ukraine on October 20. Every component of our Security and Defense Forces is extremely important today. Every person, every warrior, every intelligence officer. The daily work, all the intercepts, all the intelligence, all the operations are solely for the protection of our people. And only together can all these components bring our country a just peace and victory. Thank you for your service. Thank you for everything you do every day for victory and peace for Ukraine.

Bucha. It was a genocide, recognized by everyone. They buried hundreds of people. They tortured people. We found the grave. There were, I believe, around 500 people. When we liberated those towns near Kyiv, there emerged this, you know, this kind of hatred for the Russians, right at that moment. Not even at the moment when they started the full-scale war. Back then nobody understood what it really was yet. People understood what this war was and what Putin did personally when we found those mass graves of tortured adults, children. I mean they didn't just kill them, they tortured and killed them. When we liberated Bucha, I said, bring every journalist here. Don't touch anything, just bring the journalists. The whole world simply has to see this. Imagine finding a mass grave in the U.S. or in Britain, God forbid, with 500 tortured people, adults, kids, dogs, animals shot dead. I mean, they held hunting sprees there from military vehicles. People were running, they were shooting, just hunting, playing games. They literally just played with people, like slavery. So how, after this, can you listen to Putin? And how, after this, can you forgive? From The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett. (2/3)

Ukraine is not Russia. That's Putin’s problem – refusing to recognize a separate nation, refusing to recognize a separate country – that's what did him in. He was shown a military operation that was supposed to take three days. We found parade uniforms in their various military vehicles. They were literally marching to a parade. He still doesn't understand and doesn't want to admit that this is a different nation, a different people. They were advancing on Kyiv from all directions. Their main goal was to seize the capital of Ukraine. They reached Kyiv. They trapped us, and then we started hammering them, and they didn't know what to do about it. They were especially shocked when they drove toward the capital and people were just throwing burning mixtures. People were setting their armor on fire. It wasn't a matter of some general being an idiot. I believe the one who gave the order just didn't fully realize what was happening. Because what does taking Kyiv mean? When you've taken those towns on the way to Kyiv, you have to leave troops behind to hold those towns. And that takes a huge number of people. It's a pretty large territory. If the people inside offer resistance, then you need an army to hold every town. That was their mistake. They didn't even realize there would be resistance. That was their main mistake. That's it. From The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett. (1/3)

Of course, we are not losing this war. But we are losing people. Because of the Russian attacks, we're losing people and time. It's such a pity, because our children don't have a real life and childhood. Not only children, but all people. That's why we need to end this war as quickly as possible. I hope that our partners, Americans and Europeans, will help us. God bless, our strong soldiers stay strong on the battlefield. It helps me stay strong during any kind of negotiations.