Russian leader Vladimir Putin has celebrated his 74th birthday with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

NATO is seeking to reassure Russia that its upcoming nuclear exercise in Italy is nothing to fear, despite heightened tensions between the alliance and Moscow.

US President Donald Trump's Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have discussed the latest efforts to secure peace in Ukraine with Trump ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian negotiators and European representatives.

US President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may visit Moscow in late October.

An investigation into a large-scale incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace in September 2025 has been closed because those responsible could not be identified.

German defence company Quantum Systems is planning to provide Ukraine with tens of thousands of Spys interceptor drones designed specifically to counter Russia's new Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet-powered UAVs.

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has said that French agriculture would lose out if Ukraine joined the European Union.

Ukraine has received another €1.2 billion from the European Union under the Ukraine Support Loan programme.

A poll has found that over 34% of Ukrainians see the EU's security and defence role primarily in increasing military assistance to Ukraine. In comparison, around 19% expect stronger financial support, and about 11% want the EU to help facilitate peace talks.

Over 60% of Ukrainians see the European Union as a reliable, long-term partner for Ukraine on security and defence, while more than 30% disagree.

German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche has stated that she discussed corruption scandals in Ukraine during talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasising the necessity for measurable anti-corruption results.

Operations at the Palanca–Maiaky–Udobne border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova have been suspended after a projectile fired during Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure ricocheted and struck a passenger bus and a border control booth.

EU Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has stated that a Russian strike on a European arms factory should trigger Article 5 of the NATO collective defence treaty.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin's chief economic envoy, and the leadership of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have begun preparations for a meeting next year to discuss resuming gas supplies to Germany.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said at a press conference following a meeting with leaders of parliamentary parties that Russia's hybrid threat has intensified and ordered a plan to be drawn up to protect critical infrastructure.