Ukraine

The Kremlin is expected to leverage its strategic partnership with North Korea, established in June 2024, to deploy troops along its borders, signaling Russian President Vladimir Putin's intent to postpone mobilization for as long as possible.

Gazprom, Russia's state-owned energy giant, has announced plans to sell several of its holiday resorts following its first annual loss in nearly 50 years, according to reports from Reuters. The company has listed 14 hotels and resorts for sale, including the Tsaghkadzor Marriott Hotel in Armenia's Valley of Flowers.

Bulgaria has emerged as a frontrunner in the EU regarding agricultural support for the small ruminant sector. This acknowledgment came from the National Sheep and Goat Breeding Association, whose members attended a significant European livestock exhibition in France earlier this month.

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on October 14 that Russia intends to directly involve North Korea in its ongoing war against Ukraine in the coming months. He cited reports from Ukrainian military intelligence that indicated this shift from merely supplying weapons to actually transferring North Korean personnel to the Russian military.

EU energy ministers met in Luxembourg on Tuesday to discuss the bloc's rising Russian LNG imports, Ukraine's energy shortages ahead of winter and how to balance energy prices across member states, officials said.

Russian military forces have taken control of more than two-thirds of Toretsk, a city in Ukraine, with advancements made during the night, according to regional governor Denis Pushilin, as reported by rbc.ru. He noted that the liberation of Toretsk is significant for the surrounding area, particularly for residents of Horlivka, who have been under fire from nearby positions.

Possible shortcomings in the Arrow 1 and Arrow 2 systems, two of Israel’s main weapons against ballistic missiles are cited in a report by the Financial Times.

Citing the views of experts and former military officers, the publication says that Israel may soon find itself in the position of having to choose which targets to protect first.

Former US President Donald Trump claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had long desired to invade Ukraine, but he alleged that this was prevented during his presidency due to his personal intervention, according to The Telegraph. Speaking at a town hall event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Trump expressed confidence that if he had remained in office, the invasion would not have occurred.

The conclusion that is starting to emerge from what is happening around the world is that anyone who wants to impose himself through geopolitical bullying succeeds. Russian President Vladimir Putin has seized part of Ukraine and is unlikely to give it back no matter what the West does, which seems to be losing its stamina for a protracted war.

Greece has played a "positive role from the outset" of the Russia-Ukraine war and "it is unquestionably of strategic significance," the British ambassador in Athens, Matthew Lodge, said on Monday.