Closing summary
French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament on Tuesday he would back suspending an unpopular reform that raised the age of retirement from 62 to 64 until presidential polls in 2027.
Lecornu said on Tuesday in a policy speech at the national assembly that the law, a flagship policy of French president Emmanuel Macron, would be put on pause until after the next presidential election.
“I will propose to parliament this autumn that we suspend the 2023 pension reform until the presidential election. There will be no increase in the retirement age from now until January 2028,” he promised lawmakers during his policy speech, responding to a key request from the Socialists, a swing group in parliament crucial to his cabinet’s survival.
Lecornu also asked lawmakers on Tuesday not to use the vote on the budget as a pretext to vote his government out. “There is no longer any pretext for a no-confidence motion,” he said. Earlier in the day, Lecornu had met his new cabinet to discuss France’s draft 2026 budget that lawmakers will examine over the next 70 days.
Lecornu’s new government approved a draft budget in a meeting with Macron, who warned that any vote to topple Lecornu’s cabinet would force him to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and the far-left France Unbowed have already submitted no-confidence motions which will be debated on Thursday.
The Socialists said they will not back those motions, giving them little chance of succeeding, but had said they would file their own if Lecornu did not immediately suspend the reform that raised the retirement age.
The French economist Philippe Aghion, named one of the three winners of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics on Monday, said he hoped a path out of France’s budget mess could be found. “I hope there will be a compromise because the tragedy for France is to experience political instability,” he told reporters in Paris, adding:
If there is another censure, it would be dramatic for France. Our interest rates would continue to rise, our spread would continue to rise, it would be dramatic. We must absolutely avoid censure and still arrive at a budget.
His comments came as the independent fiscal watchdog warned on Tuesday that the French government’s 2026 budget plans were based on rosy economic assumptions and its belt-tightening measures may fall short or never even take shape.
Lecornu told his new cabinet on Tuesday that the political crisis the country is going through is not yet a regime crisis, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said on Tuesday.
She said that Lecornu had also said that “we are capable of taking action, but the government will not do just anything”.
Read John Henley’s story here:
Here are some other developments in Europe that were covered in today’s blog:
The French government will discuss an institutional reform for the overseas territory of New Caledonia by year end, Lecornu told lawmakers on Tuesday. Lecornu said: “The government will propose discussion of this text before the end of the year so that New Caledonians can be consulted in spring 2026.”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged leaders and the international community on Tuesday to “not lose the momentum for advancing peace” after the progress made in the Middle East with the Gaza ceasefire deal. “The war in Europe can also be brought to an end,” he said, adding that the leadership of the US and Ukraine’s partners was of the “utmost importance”.
Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday that he will travel to the US this week for talks on the potential US provision of long-range weapons, after Donald Trump said he might supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles. Zelenskyy said he would visit Washington and meet Trump on Friday, adding that he would also meet defence and energy companies and members of Congress.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday it welcomed Trump’s desire to focus on the search for a peace deal to end the fighting in Ukraine after achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and hoped he would be able to push Kyiv towards a settlement.
Russian forces struck a UN aid convoy in the partially occupied southern Kherson region of Ukraine on Tuesday, Kyiv and the UN said, adding there were no casualties in the attack. The United Nations said its convoy of four vehicles was clearly marked and came under attack from Russian drones and artillery while delivering aid to the frontline town of Bilozerka. There was no immediate reaction from Moscow.
Thousands of workers marched through Brussels, after unions called a national strike that grounded planes and stopped much public transport in the Belgian capital. Belgium has experienced several national and sectoral strikes since a new right-leaning government took office in February pledging to cut spending, in order to curb the country’s spiralling debt.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Tuesday it had opened a criminal case against exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, accusing him of creating a “terrorist organisation” and of plotting to violently seize power. The FSB said it was investigating more than 20 other people as part of the same case, including prominent dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, ex-prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov and leading economists Sergei Aleksashenko and Sergei Guriev.
Zelenskyy revoked the citizenship of Odesa mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov on Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on condition of anonymity, adding that Trukhanov has Russian citizenship. Trukhanov, who has been the mayor of Ukraine’s biggest port city since 2014, has previously denied holding Russian citizenship.
The European Union is seeking to coordinate with the United States and other G7 partners a response to tighter Chinese controls on the export of rare-earth minerals, trade ministers and officials from the bloc said on Tuesday.
The Council of Europe said it was alarmed on Tuesday over the “large numbers” of people being arrested in the United Kingdom for their support of banned pro-Palestinian organisation Palestine Action. In a letter to UK interior minister Shabana Mahmood, its human rights commissioner Michael O’Flaherty said London needed to conduct a “comprehensive review” of its policing of such protests.
Moldova’s pro-European ruling party will nominate financier Alexandru Munteanu to be the country’s new prime minister, the head of the party, Igor Grosu, said on social media on Tuesday. Munteanu, an economist who also founded an investment firm, has not previously held political office.
An explosion at a farmhouse near Verona killed three police officers and injured at least 13 others, officials said on Tuesday. Police were attempting to conduct an eviction when the house blew up overnight in Castel d’Azzano, in northern Italy, in what is suspected to be an intentional act of violence.
The French government will discuss an institutional reform for the overseas territory of New Caledonia by year end, prime minister Sébastien Lecornu told lawmakers on Tuesday. Lecornu said:
The government will propose discussion of this text before the end of the year so that New Caledonians can be consulted in spring 2026.
In an opinion piece for the Guardian today, Pierre Purseigle, a French historian at the University of Warwick, writes that France’s political upheaval isn’t temporary – it’s a profound constitutional crisis. You can read his writing here:
Updated
Lecornu backs suspending pension reform until 2027 French presidential vote
French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu will propose the suspension of a contested plan raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, in a move to avoid his fragile minority government being immediately toppled, reports the Associated Press (AP).
Lecornu said on Tuesday in a policy speech at the national assembly that the law, a flagship policy of French president Emmanuel Macron, would be put on pause until after the next presidential election, to be held in 2027.
“I will propose to parliament this autumn that we suspend the 2023 pension reform until the presidential election. There will be no increase in the retirement age from now until January 2028,” he promised lawmakers during his policy speech, responding to a key request from the Socialists, a swing group in parliament crucial to his cabinet’s survival.
Updated
Lecornu asks French parliament not to use the budget to vote down his government
French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu asked lawmakers on Tuesday not to use the vote on the budget as a pretext to vote his government out. “There is no longer any pretext for a no-confidence motion,” he said.
Lecornu was addressing parliament to spell out his budget priorities, in the hope of staving off losing a no-confidence vote that would plunge France further into the political mire.
Updated
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy revoked the citizenship of Odesa mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov on Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on condition of anonymity, adding that Trukhanov has Russian citizenship.
Trukhanov, who has been the mayor of Ukraine’s biggest port city since 2014, has previously denied holding Russian citizenship.
There is a live feed of Sébastien Lecornu’s speech, which will begin shortly, at the top of the blog. You may need to refresh the page to view it. Also, note that the speech will be in French with no translation in the video.
On Tuesday, Sébastien Lecornu’s new government approved a draft budget in a meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron, who warned that any vote to topple Lecornu’s cabinet would force him to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Macron, who has returned from a summit in Egypt on ending the Gaza war, warned during the meeting that any no-confidence motion would be tantamount to a “dissolution motion”, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said.
All eyes will be on the premier from 1pm GMT (2pm BST) when he gives his policy speech in parliament, especially to see if he will suspend a deeply unpopular pensions reform.
The hard-left France Unbowed party and far-right National Rally have already filed motions to topple Lecornu’s new cabinet.
The Socialists have said they will not back those motions, giving them little chance of succeeding, but will file their own if Lecornu does not immediately suspend a reform that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.
UN says Russia struck aid convoy in southern Ukraine
Russian forces struck a UN aid convoy in the partially occupied southern Kherson region of Ukraine on Tuesday, Kyiv and the UN said, adding there were no casualties in the attack.
The United Nations said its convoy of four vehicles was clearly marked and came under attack from Russian drones and artillery while delivering aid to the frontline town of Bilozerka.
The UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine Matthias Schmale said:
Such attacks are utterly unacceptable. Aid workers are protected by international humanitarian law and should never be attacked.
He added that two World Food Programme (WFP) trucks were damaged in the strike, while local authorities said the remaining two were unscathed.
The UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the convoy was carrying 800 individual packages “containing essential items for older persons, women and girls”. Jacqueline Mahon, UNFPA representative to Ukraine, told AFP:
The area has a very high proportion of older people, many of whom are unable to relocate due to drones and shelling and rely on humanitarian assistance for survival.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiga called the strike “another brutal violation of international law, proving Russia’s utter disregard for civilian lives and its international obligations”.
There was no immediate reaction from Moscow.
A senior official in the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, published a photo showing a white truck marked with the WFP emblem on fire with plumes of black smoke rising above it.
Regional authorities said on Tuesday that three people had been killed by Russian artillery in the region’s largest town, also called Kherson. One more civilian was killed by a small drone attack on a car in the nearby town of Nikopol.
Moldova’s pro-European ruling party will nominate financier Alexandru Munteanu to be the country’s new prime minister, the head of the party, Igor Grosu, said on social media on Tuesday.
Munteanu, an economist who also founded an investment firm, has not previously held political office.
Incumbent prime minister Dorin Recean, in office since February 2023, said on Monday he would step down and leave politics.
President Maia Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) clinched a majority in parliament after the 28 September election, and will appoint a new government in coming weeks tasked with taking former Soviet republic Moldova further out of Russia’s orbit.
The French economist Philippe Aghion, named one of the three winners of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics on Monday, said he hoped a path out of France’s budget mess could be found. “I hope there will be a compromise because the tragedy for France is to experience political instability,” he told reporters in Paris, according to Reuters.
“If there is another censure, it would be dramatic for France. Our interest rates would continue to rise, our spread would continue to rise, it would be dramatic. We must absolutely avoid censure and still arrive at a budget.”
Sébastien Lecornu met his new cabinet to discuss France’s draft 2026 budget that lawmakers will examine over the next 70 days.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and the far-left France Unbowed have already submitted no-confidence motions which will be debated on Thursday.
With less than two years before the next presidential election, National Rally is urging Emmanuel Macron to call another early parliamentary vote while France Unbowed wants the president to step down.
The two parties do not hold enough seats to topple Lecornu’s government on their own, but the prime minister, who is speaking to the National Assembly shortly, could be undone if the Socialist party and Green lawmakers join forces with them.
To win them over, he may be forced to abandon an unpopular pension reform that was one of Macron’s signature policies in his second presidential term. Rammed through parliament without a vote in 2023 despite mass protests, the pension change gradually raises the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Lecornu attempts to rally French cabinet before addressing parliament
French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu told his new cabinet on Tuesday that the political crisis the country is going through is not yet a regime crisis, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said on Tuesday.
She said that Lecornu had also said that “we are capable of taking action, but the government will not do just anything”.
Lecornu will address parliament on Tuesday afternoon to spell out his budget priorities, hoping to win over enough Socialists to stave off losing a no-confidence vote that would plunge France further into the political mire.
Thousands of workers are marching through Brussels, after unions called a national strike that has grounded planes and stopped much public transport in the Belgian capital.
Belgium has experienced several national and sectoral strikes since a new right-leaning government took office in February pledging to cut spending, in order to curb the country’s spiralling debt.
Union leaders said they expected 120,000 people to join the demonstration through the centre of Brussels on Tuesday, to protest against pensions reforms, plans to reduce night-working bonuses and protect Belgium’s automatic indexation of wages to prices.
Teachers who work for the Brussels-Wallonia government, which is responsible for overseeing education policy in the French regions, are also on strike over money-saving proposals, including a two-hour increase in the secondary school working week.
Local TV showed a deserted check-in zone at Brussels international airport, where all flights due to depart and half of those bound for landing were cancelled, after staff who do security screening walked out. In Brussels, many buses, trams and metro lines were suspended, but the national rail service continued to function.
The Belgian General Federation of Labour (FGTB) union, which claims 1.4m members in a country of 11.8m, is protesting against planned pension reforms that would mean people would lose some money if they took early retirement at the age of 62.
A major speech where Belgium’s prime minister Bart De Wever will set out his policy priorities for the year ahead, which was due on Tuesday, has been delayed by one week, as his five-party government has so far failed to find agreement on €10bn spending cuts or new revenues, local media reported.
Belgium is required by EU law to reduce its government deficit and debt, while also meeting a Nato pledge to raise defence spending.
Kremlin says it welcomes Trump's desire to focus on search for peace in Ukraine after Gaza ceasefire
The Kremlin said on Tuesday it welcomed US president Donald Trump’s desire to focus on the search for a peace deal to end the fighting in Ukraine after achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and hoped he would be able to push Kyiv towards a settlement.
Addressing the Israeli Knesset a day earlier after brokering a deal between Israel and Hamas, Trump spoke of wanting to get a deal done with Iran over its nuclear programme, but said he would turn his attention to trying to end the war in Ukraine first.
“First we have to get Russia done. We gotta get that one done. If you don’t mind, Steve, let’s focus on Russia first,” Trump said, addressing Steve Witkoff, his special envoy who has held talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin in the past.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia remained open to peace talks. When asked about Trump’s comments, Peskov said:
We certainly welcome such intentions and we welcome the confirmation of the political will to do everything possible to promote the search for peaceful solutions.
We are already well acquainted with Mr Witkoff; he is effective, has proven his effectiveness now in the Middle East, and we hope that his talents will continue to contribute to the work already under way in Ukraine.
Russia accuses Ukraine of stalling negotiations and of not making good on an idea of setting up working groups to consider potential aspects of a deal. Ukraine accuses Moscow of not being serious about a deal and of putting forward conditions that are tantamount to asking for it to surrender.
Peskov said:
The Russian side remains open and ready for peaceful dialogue, and we hope that the influence of the United States and the diplomatic skills of President Trump’s envoys will help encourage the Ukrainian side to be more active and more willing to engage in the peace process.
Peskov has said that dialogue with the US around Ukraine has stalled, while Trump has spoken of possibly supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles, something Moscow has made clear it would regard as a dangerous escalation.
Council of Europe alarmed by 'large numbers' of UK arrests over Palestine Action
The Council of Europe said it was alarmed on Tuesday over the “large numbers” of people being arrested in the United Kingdom for their support of banned pro-Palestinian organisation Palestine Action.
In a letter to UK interior minister Shabana Mahmood, its human rights commissioner Michael O’Flaherty said London needed to conduct a “comprehensive review” of its policing of such protests, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The UK government proscribed Palestine Action as a “terror group” in July.
Almost 500 people were arrested on 4 October in the latest pro-Palestinian protest in London, which came two days after two people were killed in a knife attack on a synagogue in Manchester.
O’Flaherty said in his letter:
Large numbers of arrests have reportedly been made for displaying placards or banners expressing solidarity with the organisation or disagreement with the government’s decision to proscribe it.
Domestic legislation designed to counter “terrorism” must not impose “any limitations on fundamental rights and freedoms”, he insisted. He said that changes in legislation in 2022 and 2023 “allow authorities to impose excessive limits on freedom of assembly and expression, and risk overpolicing”.
The UK is one of 46 member states of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe rights organisation, which is not connected to the European Union.
Council of Europe members sign up to the European convention on human rights (EHCR), which is enforced by the European court of human rights.
Right-wing politicians, including leaders of the main opposition Conservative party, have called on Britain to pull out of the ECHR, regarding it as a brake on domestic policy. The ruling Labour party has so far resisted such a move.
O’Flaherty added:
I would recommend that a comprehensive review of the compliance of the current legislation on the policing of protests with the United Kingdom’s human rights obligations be undertaken.
An explosion at a farmhouse near Verona killed three police officers and injured at least 13 others, officials said on Tuesday.
Police were attempting to conduct an eviction when the house blew up overnight in Castel d’Azzano, in northern Italy, in what is suspected to be an intentional act of violence.
Police have arrested two men and one woman, all siblings in their 60s, who were the targets of the eviction.
The house was filled with gas and the explosion was triggered by the front door opening when the law enforcement officers broke in, investigative sources said.
“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” the provincial police commander Claudio Papagno told the ANSA news agency. “A gas cylinder had been ignited, and the explosion directly hit our officers.”
An investigation was under way, the officer said, adding that it appeared to be “an intentional act”.
“It was a building that had been abandoned for several months, and the occupants had essentially barricaded themselves inside,” he said.
Previous attempts to evict the family, with financial problems, had been thwarted by threats from the siblings to blow themselves up, according to ANSA.
Papagno confirmed the arrest of two people. A short while later, the president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, posted on social media that the third occupant of the house had also been detained.
Twelve law enforcement officers and a civilian woman were injured, firefighters said on X.
'The war in Europe can also be brought to an end': Zelenskyy urges leaders to 'not lose momentum for advancing peace'
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged leaders and the international community to “not lose the momentum for advancing peace” after the progress made in the Middle East with the Gaza ceasefire deal.
“The war in Europe can also be brought to an end,” he said, adding that the leadership of the US and Ukraine’s partners was of the “utmost importance”. He also shared that he had spent almost an hour discussing the topic with the Finnish president Alexander Stubb.
Writing on X today, Zelenskyy said:
Now, as the war in the Middle East comes to an end, it is important not to lose the momentum for advancing peace. The war in Europe can also be brought to an end, and for that, the leadership of both the United States and other partners is of utmost importance.
Today, I spent nearly an hour discussing all of this with president of Finland Alexander Stubb. We are coordinating our positions. It is important that President Trump succeeded in implementing the necessary steps to secure the release of hostages and to stop the war in Gaza. Undoubtedly, the right actions by the United States can also help bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. We have a corresponding vision for this.
We also discussed with Alex the recent Russian strikes on our energy sector and the need to strengthen air defence. I am grateful for the readiness to help. Russia must be deprived of the means to continue its war and terror – and this can become the most reliable foundation for peace in our region.
Updated
The European Union is seeking to coordinate with the United States and other G7 partners a response to tighter Chinese controls on the export of rare-earth minerals, trade ministers and officials from the bloc said on Tuesday.
China, the world’s largest rare-earth producer, dramatically expanded controls last week, adding new elements, refining technology and extra scrutiny for semiconductor users before planned talks between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
According to Reuters, European trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič called the measures unjustified and said EU ministers meeting in Denmark to discuss trade issues described them as a “critical concern”.
Previous Chinese controls announced in April caused shortages around the world, such as for carmakers, before a series of deals with Europe and the US eased the supply crunch.
Šefčovič said G7 finance ministers were likely to discuss options on Wednesday and added he had discussed the issue with US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick. “We brainstormed yesterday that it would be advisable after this first discussion to have a G7 video call pretty soon,” he said before the EU ministers’ meeting.
Šefčovič said he was also likely to speak to his Chinese counterpart early next week.
Danish foreign minister Lars Rasmussen said the EU needed a united and “tough” response and to flex its muscles as “the world’s biggest trading bloc”. He said:
But we also need to be realistic. This is actually an area of common interest with our friends in the US. If we stick together we can much better pressure China to act in a fair way.
Trump’s immediate response was to threaten China with 100% tariffs, causing a Wall Street sell-off.
Rasmussen did not favour tariffs, advocating instead frank and open discussions with Beijing.
Šefčovič also said that coordination with G7 partners could take the form of seeking to diversify supply, such as advancing joint projects to extract or process critical minerals. He said:
Of course these projects take time, but with this signal we got from China it’s clear we have to focus on accelerating these processes as much as possible.
The French socialist party will not vote against the government in motions filed by the hard-left and the far-right but will submit its own motion of no confidence if it is unhappy with prime minister Sébastien Lecornu’s budget proposals, parliamentary socialist sources said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Russia accuses Khodorkovsky and other exiled opponents of plotting to seize power
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Tuesday it had opened a criminal case against exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, accusing him of creating a “terrorist organisation” and of plotting to violently seize power.
According to Reutes, the FSB said it was investigating more than 20 other people as part of the same case, including prominent dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, ex-prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov and leading economists Sergei Aleksashenko and Sergei Guriev.
The move came less than two weeks after the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, a human rights forum of lawmakers from 46 European countries, said it was creating a “platform for dialogue” with Russian democratic forces in exile. The FSB said in a statement that this was being presented by Khodorkovsky as an alternative Russian leadership. It also accused him of funding Ukrainian paramilitary units in order to use them to try to eventually seize power.
Flights cancelled as Belgium hit by national strike
A national strike over a government savings plan has grounded flights and disrupted public transport in Belgium on Tuesday, with tens of thousands expected to join a demonstration in Brussels.
Brussels airport – Belgium’s largest – cancelled all departures as security workers downed their tools, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). Charleroi airport, a major European hub for low-cost airline Ryanair, said it could not operate any flights due to lack of staff.
The strike is the last in a series to hit the European country since Flemish nationalist Bart De Wever took office as prime minister in February.
Grappling with a budget deficit whose size violates European Union rules, the government is hope to reform pensions and make other savings that have infuriated trade unions.
“This government promised more sustainable jobs and increased purchasing power. Hot air! And once again, everyone is paying, except the rich,” trade union CSC said, calling on people to take to the streets in protest.
Unions expect tens of thousands to join a rally in Brussels on Wednesday, as delays and cancellations also hit the capital’s metro, tram, and bus services. Police in the capital advised citizens to avoid some central areas and travel by car.
The protest action will increase pressure on De Wever’s coalition government, which on Monday failed to agree on a budget, forcing the prime minister to postpone a key speech to parliament scheduled for Tuesday.
Trade unions have mounted strong opposition against planned reforms including cutting early retirement and a wage indexation freeze, reports AFP.
As it hopes to find about €10bn ($12bn/£8.7bn) in savings, Brussels has also pledged to ramp up spending on defence as part of a Nato push to increase rearmament.
France's budget built on shaky ground, fiscal watchdog warns
The French government’s 2026 budget plans are based on rosy economic assumptions and its belt-tightening measures may fall short or never even take shape, the independent fiscal watchdog said on Tuesday, reports Reuters.
Reappointed on Friday, prime minister Sébastien Lecornu is racing to present a 2026 budget bill to parliament before constitutional limits on reviewing the legislation run out.
The budget, already submitted to the Haut Conseil des finances publiques (HCFP) for review, aims to reduce the deficit to between 4.7% and 5% of GDP – a modest improvement from this year’s 5.4%, the fiscal watchdog said.
The government’s plan hinges on a more than €30bn ($34.7bn/£26.1bn) budget squeeze, including cuts to corporate tax breaks, tighter rules on social welfare contributions, and new levies such as a small parcel tax and an exceptional surtax on complementary health insurers, the HCFP said.
It also clamps down on the taxation of holding companies used by wealthy people to lower their tax bills, stopping short of a 2% tax on wealth over €100m ($116m/£87m) as demanded by the Socialists.
Updated
Morning opening: Zelenskyy to meet Trump in US on Friday as he expresses hope for Ukraine-Russia peace after Gaza deal
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced he will travel to the US this week for talks on the potential US provision of long-range weapons, after Donald Trump said he might supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles.
Zelenskyy said he would visit Washington and meet Trump on Friday, adding that he would also meet defence and energy companies and members of Congress.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy confirmed that the Ukrainian delegation, including prime minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, head of the presidential office Andriy Yermak, secretary of the national security and defence council Rustem Umerov and several representatives of the diplomatic sector, had departed for the US.
Writing on X, Zelenskyy said:
I will also have the opportunity to come to Washington and meet with President Trump on Friday. I believe we will discuss a series of steps that I intend to propose. I am grateful to President Trump for our dialogue and his support. There will be several other important meetings – with defence companies, and possibly with senators and members of Congress.
I will also meet with energy companies. This is necessary – it was President Trump’s proposal – and I will meet with these companies because there are pressing needs linked to various formats of attacks, not even the attacks that Russia has already carried out. In any case, we must be prepared. So, it will be helpful. Therefore, the main focus of the visit is air defence and our long-range capabilities aimed at exerting pressure on Russia for the sake of peace.
On Monday, Zelenskyy expressed hope for peace in his country’s war against Russia, as Israel and Hamas carried out phase 1 of a Gaza ceasefire plan proposed by the Trump administration. In a post on X, the Ukrainian president wrote:
When peace is achieved for one part of the world, it brings more hope for peace in other regions where life is still under threat. In Ukraine, we welcome all the efforts that have led to today’s outcome for the Middle East.
He added:
We are working so that the day of peace comes for Ukraine as well. Russian aggression remains the last global source of destabilisation, and if a ceasefire and peace have been achieved for the Middle East, the leadership and determination of global actors can certainly work for us too, in Ukraine, in Europe.
Elsewhere, France’s freshly reappointed prime minister Sébastien Lecornu will give his first policy speech to parliament today. It is a high-stakes speech to a deeply divided parliament.
The new cabinet is expected to present a draft budget on Tuesday that aims for a deficit below 5% of GDP, according to new government spokesperson Maud Bregeon. The cabinet must give parliament the constitutionally required 70 days to scrutinise the plan before the end of the year.
In Russia, the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Tuesday it had opened a criminal case against exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, accusing him of creating a “terrorist organisation” and of plotting to violently seize power.
Khodorkovsky, an oil tycoon who was once Russia’s richest man, served 10 years in a Siberian prison on fraud charges that he and many western countries said were politically motivated.
The FSB said the charges relate to the activities of a Khodorkovsky-backed group that opposes the war in Ukraine. The group, called the Anti-War Committee, has been banned in Russia. There has been no immediate comment from Khodorkovsky or his representatives.
I will bring you all reactions here.
It’s Tuesday, 14 October 2025, I’m Amy Sedghi and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Updated
