EU foreign policy chief calls for continued sanctions on Russia
EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas urged Monday for sanctions targeting Russia over the war on Ukraine to remain in place for a longer period, as countries scramble to push through an extension.
"We need to have this stability, that the sanctions remain in place for a longer time," Kallas told reporters after a meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers.
She added that officials discussed the rollover of EU Russia sanctions, adding that they aim to close talks soon.
Poland starts military aviation operations amid Russian strikes on Ukraine, army says
Poland has commenced military aviation operations in its airspace as Russia carries out aerial
attacks on Ukraine, the Polish army said.
The operations are preventive and aimed at securing the airspace, with ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance at a state of readiness, the army added.
Zelensky and US spy chief Ratcliffe meet in Ireland, sources say
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US CIA chief John Ratcliffe at Shannon Airport in Ireland, two people familiar with the matter said.
The meeting took place on Monday, one of the sources said. The other source said the pair spoke while their planes were being refuelled, without specifying a date.
Both sources, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, declined to disclose details of their conversation.
Nestle Russia pledges to continue operations despite Kremlin transfer of assets
Nestle's Russian subsidiary pledged to continue its operations in Russia without regard to a decision by the Kremlin to transfer control of the company's assets, the Swiss food giant was quoted as saying on Monday.
"The Nestle Group in Russia is continuing its commercial activities in Russia in full and wishes to state its intention to unconditionally fulfil all obligations to clients, partners and employees," state news agency TASS quoted the company's Russian press service as saying in a statement in Russian.
The Russian assets of Nestle and French retailer Auchan were, by virtue of a presidential decree on Friday, transferred to temporary control by L.E.V. Management, a little-known company with no public profile.
The Nestle statement quoted by TASS said the transfer did not amount to nationalisation or a change of ownership. It said Nestle expressed confidence that working with the team at L.E.V. Management would help the company continue to grow and improve its efficiency.
After the presidential decree was announced last week, Nestle, maker of Nescafé coffee and KitKat chocolate bars, said it was "committed to taking all necessary steps to protect its rights and ensure continuity of business operations in the interests of all stakeholders, particularly its employees".
Ukraine on agenda as Trump, Macron to meet in New York
French President Emmanuel Macron will face his US counterpart Donald Trump with "total candour" when they meet ahead of the UN's signature diplomatic week in New York, a French official said Monday.
"It is always a good opportunity to set the tone before the start of this high-level week of the General Assembly, and to have a discussion with the president of the United States with total candour, as (Macron) always does," a French official told AFP.
"As in all critical moments, this will be an opportunity to guide President Trump toward the right decisions, particularly regarding Ukraine, to maintain the effort to support Ukraine and to step up the pressure on Russia."
Macron will travel to New York from Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a small French territory off Canada's Atlantic coast, where he met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The French president also plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Ukraine civilians face rough winter amid Russian infrastructure attacks, UN says
Escalating infrastructure attacks by both Russia and Ukraine are leaving civilians increasingly vulnerable as winter approaches, United Nations investigators warned, expressing fear of a repeat of last winter's suffering.
For months, Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in intensifying long-range strikes targeting a growing number of civilian sites, including factories, warehouses and energy and port infrastructure, as well as ships in the Black Sea.
In a fresh update, the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine warned the attacks raised concerns that already difficult living conditions could worsen dramatically with the arrival of winter, as was the case last year.
"During the severe winter of 2025-2026, Russian armed forces continued to launch systematic waves of attacks against Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure as temperatures plunged to minus 20C," it said in a statement.
"Millions of civilians endured prolonged power outages, shortages or lengthy absence of heating."
The commission, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, cited testimony about temperatures inside apartments "falling to the point where many developed health problems, including psychological conditions".
"Ukrainian authorities recorded cold-related deaths and injuries," commission chair Erik Mose said in a presentation of the findings to the UN Human Rights Council.
EU strikes provisional deal to lift sanctions on two Russian oligarchs
EU countries struck a provisional agreement Monday to lift sanctions on Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman after a push from France, diplomats said.
Diplomats said the deal -- part of a compromise that sees sanctions on almost 3,000 other individuals and entities over the Ukraine war prolonged for a further three years -- will become definitive if no country objects in writing in the coming hours.
Moscow oil refinery output halted after Sunday drone attack, sources say
Russia's major Moscow refinery, owned by Gazprom Neft, has halted crude oil processing after fires broke out at its primary crude distillation units following a Ukrainian drone attack on September 20, three industry sources said.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram on Sunday morning that an industrial facility on the refinery's premises had been damaged during a drone raid on the Russian capital.
The sources told Reuters on Monday that both of the refinery's primary crude distillation units caught fire after drones crashed onto the site and that it could take several weeks to repair the damage and restore operations.
The refinery's AVT-6 unit has a capacity of 21,400 metric tons per day, representing 53 percent of its total capacity, while the EURO+ combined crude processing facility has a capacity of 18,800 tons per day, making up the remaining 47 percent.
Fuel produced by the Moscow refinery has not been offered for sale on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange since September 21.
The sources said the refinery processed 11.6 million tons of crude oil in 2024, some 230,000 barrels per day, and produced 2.9 million tons of gasoline, 3.2 million tons of diesel and 1.3 million tons of bitumen.
Ukraine slams 'unacceptable' push to lift EU sanctions on Russian oligarchs
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga slammed as "unacceptable" a move to remove two Russian oligarchs from the European Union's sanctions list, adding it would send Moscow a "wrong signal".
"Delisting is unacceptable and would send the wrong signal to Moscow at a time when pressure needs to increase. On the contrary, sanctions need to be tightened," Sybiga said on social media.
EU to lift sanctions on Russia-linked Usmanov and Fridman, diplomats say
European Union envoys agreed to lift sanctions imposed over Russia’s war in Ukraine on businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman as long as no EU government objected to the move within the next few hours, diplomats said.
The agreement by ambassadors from the EU’s 27 countries came as part of a package deal to renew sanctions on thousands of other Russian individuals and entities for three years – much longer than usual rollover periods of six or 12 months – the diplomats said.
To the surprise and anger of some EU countries, France this month joined Slovakia in pushing for the removal of Russian-Uzbek billionaire Usmanov from the sanctions list.
Luxembourg then demanded the removal of Fridman, a Russian, according to diplomats.
France urged the EU to lift sanctions on Usmanov after coming under what it said was pressure from Azerbaijan, which has detained at least two French nationals, three European diplomats told Reuters last week.
A senior Azerbaijani diplomat on Friday rejected those assertions.
France condemns Russian parliamentary elections that ruling party is set to win
Russian parliamentary elections that the country's ruling United Russia party were easily on track to win did not meet the conditions for free elections, France's foreign ministry said on Monday, adding that the organisation of elections in occupied Ukrainian territories constituted another violation of international law.
"Heightened repression against civil society and the opposition, the exclusion of several political parties, growing restrictions on freedom of expression and the banning of independent media have undermined the Russian people's ability to freely form and express their choice," the ministry said in a statement.
Five nations including UK, Canada, Australia condemn 'sham' Russian election in occupied Ukraine
Poland aims to host 15,000 US soldiers on its territory: minister
Poland is seeking to host 15,000 US troops on its territory, its deputy defence minister said Monday, as Russia's war in neighbouring Ukraine enters a fifth winter.
"We are speaking about a target number of 15,000 soldiers," minister Stanislaw Wziatek told broadcaster RMF FM.
He said this would include about 10,000 soldiers deployed on a rotational basis, as well as "3,500 to 5,000" stationed permanently.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday touted "major progress" on establishing a permanent US military base in Poland, even as his administration launched a formal review of its military presence in Europe.
According to the Polish minister, the intended US force would be "built up in stages" by 2039. Poland currently hosts between 6,500 and 7,000 US troops on a rotational basis, he said.
Slovak leader's NATO-Russia war comments anger Czech Republic
Kremlin-friendly Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has angered the neighbouring Czech Republic by accusing western politicians of doing "everything" to spark a NATO war with Russia.
Fico last week questioned NATO solidarity, angering President Petr Pavel of the Czech Republic.
European leaders have been increasingly concerned about shadow operations across the continent they attribute to Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.
Nordic broadcasters pull documentary on Russian spying, fearing AI could unmask sources
Danish public broadcaster DR and Norway's NRK have removed a documentary on Russian intelligence activities from their streaming services, fearing that AI tools could be used to identify anonymous sources, NRK said.
Originally aired in 2023, the documentary series "Skyggekrigen" ("The Shadow War") was produced by four Nordic public broadcasters and focuses on potential Russian spying in northern Europe.
In particular, the series claims that at least 50 Russian civilian vessels may have been used to secretly gather information.
The series also looked into ships suspected of having mapped sensitive infrastructure installations for potential acts of sabotage.
Putin party retains majority in first vote since 2022 invasion of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party won a large majority in parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results published by state media, in a vote held amid Ukrainian drone strikes, cyberattacks and a crackdown on anti-war opposition.
The election was the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
FRANCE 24' international affairs editor, Oliver Farry, shares further insights from this election.
Kremlin says Trump's Russia sanctions bill signing is bad for relations and potential Ukraine deal
he Kremlin said that US President Donald Trump's signing into law of a sweeping Russia sanctions bill would not help restore battered US-Russia ties or advance a peace settlement to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump signed the bill on Friday.
Kremlin says Germans 'looking for alternative' in politics
The Kremlin said Germans were looking for a political "alternative" after Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered election defeats to the far-right AfD party, widely seen as sympathising with Moscow.
"To a large extent, the decline in the competitiveness of the German economy is due to the fact that Germany has stopped purchasing cheap Russian gas and started buying very expensive gas," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"Naturally, the Germans – or at least some of them – are looking for an alternative to the current government in order to improve their situation," he added.
Kremlin says military working to resolve humanitarian crisis in Russian-controlled Oleshky
The Kremlin said that Oleshky, a town in the part of Ukraine's Kherson region that Russia controls, had critical problems with food and medicine supplies, but that Russia's military was working to resolve them.
Trump urges Zelensky to stop hitting Russian oil refineries, FT reports
US President Donald Trump pressed his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in a call on Sunday to halt Kyiv's strikes on Russian refineries over concerns that the attacks are exacerbating a global diesel shortage and pushing up prices, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the call.
Yesterday's key developments:
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Ukrainian forces fired more than 1,000 drones at Russia overnight, officials said Sunday, including what Moscow’s mayor described as the “largest ever” attack on the Russian capital.
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Moscow's mayor accused Ukraine of launching an "unprecedented" attack involving more than 1,600 drones toward Russia, with the aim of "disrupting" the country's parliamentary elections.
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A Russian strike in the Kyiv region has killed at least four people, three of them children, the Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
