Skip next section European leaders call for current battle lines to be included in peace talks
10/21/2025October 21, 2025
European leaders call for current battle lines to be included in peace talks
With expectations building on US President Donald Trump’s next face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, European leaders have said current battle lines in Ukraine must be the starting point for any peace talks.
After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House last week, Trump is expected to meet with Putin in Budapest within the next weeks.
In a statement on Tuesday, the leaders of European powers including Britain, Germany and the EU, said they “strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.”
Trump, Zelenskyy hold ‘cordial’ White House meeting
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
After meeting with Zelenskyy last Friday, Trump publicly endorsed Ukraine’s position that an immediate ceasefire should take place at current battle lines for the first time.
Moscow has said it wants Ukraine to cede more territory as one of several conditions it has raised for a ceasefire.
The summit between Trump and Putin has also hit a snag with the preliminary meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, that had been expected to take place on Thursday in Budapest, was postponed.
https://p.dw.com/p/52Lg5
Skip next section Russian stirke on energy grids leaves hundreds of thousands without power
10/21/2025October 21, 2025
Russian stirke on energy grids leaves hundreds of thousands without power
On Tuesday, numerous Russian bombardments of energy infrastructure left hundreds of thousands of people in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region without power and some without water.
Officials have added the threat of drone strikes have since hampered repairs, with the regional capital having lost all of its electricity supply.
It is the latest attack, which also struck neighboring Sumy region is just the latest in a series of Russian strikes targeting the Ukrainian energy grid ahead of winter.
“Emergency crews in the Chernihiv region are unable to begin work on restoring power supply due to continuous attacks by Russian drones,” a statement from the energy minister on Telegram said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later wrote repairs were underway. saying: “Russia’s tactics are to murder people and terrorise them with the cold.”
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha added on X, “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin pretends to be ready for diplomacy and peace negotiations, while in reality this night Russia launched a brutal missile and drone attack.”
Moscow has sharply increased the frequency of air attacks across Ukraine in recent weeks, leaving areas in darkness for hours, sometimes days.
Trump renews pressure on Ukraine to make deal with Putin
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/52Lb8
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage10/21/2025October 21, 2025
Welcome to our coverage
Russia rained drones on Ukraine’s energy facilities once again on Tuesday, having targeted the Chernihiv region in northeastern Ukraine.
People were left without power and some without water, authorities said. The region has faced fiery assaults in recent weeks as Russia ramps up attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Plus, European leaders, including Germany, issued a joint statement to support President Donald Trump’s position on ending the fighting between Ukraine and Russia.
Keep reading for updates on Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is now in its fourth year.
https://p.dw.com/p/52MUB
