Putin reportedly ready to make concessions to Ukraine, Louvre robbed in Paris - Weekend brief
RBC-Ukraine collage
Kremlin president Vladimir Putin has reportedly expressed his willingness to cede some of the territory to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Hamas has violated the ceasefire in Gaza, and the Louvre art museum in Paris has been robbed.
Read more about what happened over the weekend.
Putin 'concedes,' while Trump allegedly urges acceptance of Russia’s terms
This week, US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, as well as a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Over the weekend, media reports suggested that the Russian leader was allegedly ready to concede some territories to Ukraine, but under certain conditions. He reportedly told Trump he was willing to withdraw troops from the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in exchange for Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donbas.
According to the Financial Times, Trump allegedly tried to persuade Zelenskyy to accept Russia’s terms; otherwise, Putin would “destroy” Ukraine.
In his public remarks, Trump did not say such things. On the contrary, he stated that both sides should stop along the front line, and Zelenskyy, after meeting with him, supported this position.
On Sunday, the president also said that Ukraine would not give Russia anything.
In an interview with NBC News, he expressed readiness to travel to Budapest, where a new Putin–Trump summit is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
Louvre's heist of the year took only four minutes
On the morning of October 19, the heist of the year took place in France — criminals robbed the Louvre, one of the country’s national symbols. The thieves broke into the Apollo Gallery and stole several valuables from the Napoleonic era.
Ceasefire at risk as Israeli forces strike Rafah again
The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes on the city of Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip following accusations by the IDF that Hamas had violated the ceasefire agreements.
Protesters rally against Trump across US in massive 'No Kings' demonstrations
On Saturday, October 18, thousands of people across all 50 US states took to the streets under the slogan "No Kings," protesting President Donald Trump's policies.
The nationwide demonstrations followed a similar "No Kings" rally on June 14, which coincided with a military parade Trump held to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Army and his birthday.
Ukraine rushes to protect critical infrastructure from new Russian attacks, says Prime Minister
The government has approved a series of urgent measures to speed up the protection and restoration of critical infrastructure.
Svyrydenko noted that during an extraordinary meeting, the Cabinet adopted several decisions to make the protection and restoration of critical infrastructure more effective. These measures will enable government agencies and services to quickly allocate funds and repair damage.
Ukraine saves Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant from blackout for the 42nd time amid Russian strikes
Ukrainian energy workers are once again restoring power lines that supply the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Repair work is currently underway.
"Connecting the Zaporizhzhia NPP to the Ukrainian power grid and ensuring its stable operation by our specialists is a key condition for preventing any incidents or accidents at Europe’s largest nuclear facility," the Ministry of Energy emphasized.
