Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Raytheon executives in Washington, October 16, 2025

Thursday’s Coverage: Russian Missile Strikes On Cities Across Country

UPDATE 0906 GMT:

Vladimir Putin’s economic advisor Kirill Dmitriev has proposed a “Putin-Trump Tunnel”, connecting the US and Russia through the Bering Strait, to “symbolize the unity” of Moscow and Washington.

Dmitriev referred to a plan for a tunnel in the documents of John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s. The project would be called the “Kennedy-Khrushchev Peace Bridge” after the US President and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

Dmitriev said the 112-km (70-mile) tunnel will open up opportunities for joint resource development, creating jobs and boosting the economies of both countries.

The advisor, who has been in contact with the Trump camp since at least January 2017, maintained the project’s cost could be significantly lower than the estimates of $65 billion. He declared that, using technology from Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, the construction could be accomplished in eight years for less than $8 billion.

“Let’s build the future together!” he exclaimed.

UPDATE 0901 GMT:

In Washington, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky also met Energy Secretary Chris Wright and representatives of American energy firms.

UPDATE 0856 GMT:

Russian forces attacked energy infrastructure in four Ukrainian regions overnight: Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Sumy, and Donetsk.

“Emergency repair crews are working around the clock to restore electricity as quickly as possible,” said Ukraine’s Energy Ministry.

It urged Ukrainians to use electricity efficiently throughout the day, especially during peak consumption hours in the morning and evening. Restrictions for businesses and industry are in effect nationwide from 07:00 to 22:00 on Friday.

UPDATE 0841 GMT:

Continuing its persecution of Ukrainian prisoners of war, Russia has sentenced 15 soldiers to between 15 and 21 years in a maximum security penal colony.

The troops of the Aidar Battalion were captured in 2022. They were tried for taking part in “a terrorist organization” in a closed-doors trial in a military court in Rostov-on-Don in southwest Russia.

UPDATE 0831 GMT:

The European Union is requiring fuel importers to prove their supplies are not made from Russian crude oil.

The EU is preparing its ban on the Russian imports, which takes effect from January 21, as part of its 18th sanctions package against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

At an energy conference in Moscow on Thursday, Vladimir Putin complained of Russian oil’s struggle with “unfair” practices. He insisted European countries had hurt their economies by cutting purchases of Russian gas.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington for a series of meetings, including a working lunch with Donald Trump at the White House.

Zelensky’s discussion with US defense industries began on Thursday. He posted video of his session at Raytheon, a leading manufacturer of weapons and electronics.

In his sitdown with Trump, Zelensky is expected to discuss air defenses, the US supply of arms to Ukraine via sale to NATO members, and provision of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles for strikes inside Russia.

The language of strength and justice will inevitably work against Russia as well. We can already see that Moscow is rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks.

There must be no alternative but peace and reliably guaranteed security – and it is crucial to protect people from Russian strikes and assaults as soon as possible.

The President also commented on Russia’s six sets of massive drone and missile strikes in October, targeting energy infrastructure and other civilian sites.

Every air defense system for Ukraine matters – it saves lives. Every decision that can strengthen us brings the end of the war closer. Security can be guaranteed if everything we have agreed on, including here in Washington, is implemented.

Putin Gets A Face-to-Face Meeting with Trump

Concerned about the supply of the Tomahawks, with a precision-strike range of 1,600 km (994 miles), Vladimir Putin scrambled for his own session with Trump.

After Putin’s call with Trump on Thursday, the Kremlin confirmed that the two will meet in Hungary’s capital Budapest next week. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will lay the foundation with a phone call.

Trump posted on social media, “President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed-upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ war between Russia and Ukraine to an end.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of Putin who has tried to block assistance to Ukraine, said he had spoken by phone with Trump about preparations.

“The planned meeting between the American and Russian presidents is great news for the peace-loving people of the world. We are ready!” he asserted.