Anton Gerashchenko

Admiral Rob Bauer, former Chair of the NATO Military Committee:

Putin is not going to move because he is not in a position to give up anything. He will basically continue to demand the same things, such as insisting that Ukraine cannot have armed forces and demanding all the territories Russia wants... They don't even have everything, but "all the territories we want, we need to have them to end the conflict." And that is all unacceptable for Ukraine, of course.

And most importantly, it is unacceptable to have an unjust peace agreement. There is actually a big chance that if they agree to this unjust peace agreement, Russia will start the war again in a couple of years. I think Ukraine has good reasons to find that unacceptable.

As long as that is not dealt with properly and there are no good guarantees, I think we will not see any movement.

📹: DW

Chancellor Merz reportedly warns he will not support the next EU seven-year budget unless all member states commit to providing financial support to Ukraine - Financial Times, citing the Chancellor's letter to European Council President António Costa.

By 2027, Ukraine faces a funding gap of €70 billion. While the EU has pledged to cover approximately €45 billion, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Czechia have yet to signal their willingness to contribute to further financing.

"It is our collective obligation, without exception, to make a fair contribution toward covering this shortfall," Merz wrote in a letter to European Council President António Costa.

The Financial Times notes that Merz is leveraging Germany’s position as the largest contributor to the EU budget to secure guaranteed funding for Ukraine - not just for 2027 but for the years that follow.

📷: Chancellor Merz in Kyiv near a building heavily damaged by a Russian drone

Russia's Nebenzya confirms that Russia is not ready for any real peace negotiations ahead of the talks in Abu Dhabi:

"We will not agree to a freezing of the conflict that would preserve existing threats to our security and create conditions for a new escalation. Our position is firm and unyielding.

The settlement must be comprehensive, durable, and long-lasting. It must address the root causes of the conflict."

Russia sees an independent Ukraine as the main threat to its security.

After four and a half years apart, the Ukrainian couple Larysa and Serhiy Ryndov from occupied Oleshky finally met again and hugged each other.

At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 72-year-old Larysa left for England, where her son lives. Her 68-year-old husband Serhiy decided to stay behind to look after their family home in Oleshky, Kherson region.

Serhiy describes Oleshky as "a zone of death," where life under occupation could depend on the mood of an individual Russian soldier. The man said he probably would not have left on his own had it not been for the evacuation. Mines were planted on roads and throughout the city, killing many residents.

Serhiy managed to leave Oleshky during a humanitarian evacuation mission in late October. His three children and six grandchildren are also eagerly waiting to meet him.

Despite the joy of finally seeing his family again, Serhiy is deeply saddened that he had to leave behind his home and the cemetery where so many of his relatives are buried.

📹: Reuters

This is my view of the situation as well.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul:

"It must become clear over the next few days whether Russia is genuinely prepared to negotiate.

At this point in time, we do not see that. We only see murderous attacks against the completely innocent civilian population, who are suffering the most terrible things as a result.

We see absolutely no substantial contribution toward getting serious negotiations underway.

If that changes, everyone is prepared to engage very constructively. But Russia has not demonstrated that so far."

Ukraine will be represented at tomorrow's talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi by Foreign Intelligence Service chief Umerov, head of the Presidential Office Budanov, his first deputy Kyslytsya, Deputy chief of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Skibitskyi, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction Arakhamia, and an analyst from the Foreign Intelligence Service.

Russia will be represented by Medinsky, Ushakov, Deputy Foreign Ministers Ryabkov and Galuzin, head of the Main Directorate of Russia's General Staff Kostyukov, and deputy head of the General Staff's Main Operational Directorate Zhigarlovsky.

Before the two-day trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US in Abu Dhabi, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will meet with representatives of Ukraine, the EU, NATO, Germany, France, the UK and Italy. The discussions will focus on European security and Ukraine's postwar future.

Earlier, President Trump said peace in Ukraine was drawing closer and that he was working on a major agreement on Europe related to talks on a new European security architecture, which Trump's son-in-law Kushner already started on Wednesday during a meeting in Brussels with representatives of Europe and NATO. The discussion will continue on November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi between representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the US.

According to the US, the Abu Dhabi negotiations will address post-war security guarantees for both Ukraine and Russia, as well as broader issues of creating a new European security architecture. The specific terms of the agreements under discussion remain unknown.