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Anna asked whether a diesel agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin could have been made before its announcement. She wrote that the tanker Minerva Zen left Saint Petersburg on September 22 – 17 days before Trump's announcement. The ship, sailing under the Greek flag, had an undisclosed destination since its departure and was supposed to reach the US East Coast on October 11 or 12, according to data from Windward and Vortexa, a week after the House of Representatives voted for the Graham sanctions law. The route is documented, but the cargo is not, Anna wrote. Shipping papers are not available; estimates range from 230,000 to 300,000 barrels of diesel. Shipping analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann could not say whether the ship had been redirected after Trump's announcement or whether an agreement had already existed before. Anna also pointed out that the US Treasury Department had issued General License No. 135 less than 24 hours before the report, allowing the import of Russian diesel until April 2027. She related the issuance on Thursday, a phone call on Friday, and the departure of the tanker on September 22, stating that the timing seemed unusual. While Kyiv had urged Congress to implement the Graham law, Washington could have already planned differently, according to her account. She cited Windward and Vortexa, quoted by Nasha Niva, as well as UkrMedia and NPR. #DieselDeal #Trump #Putin (translated)

Anna wrote that US Senators Schumer, Shaheen, and Warren called Trump's diesel deal with Putin a "total betrayal" of Ukraine and pledged their support to Kyiv. They blamed the Iran war for rising fuel prices in the US and Europe and accused Trump of disregarding the bipartisan will of Congress, which had passed a law just weeks earlier prohibiting the purchase of Russian energy. The senators called for an end to the Iran war instead of financing Russia's war machinery, stating that Putin only responds to strength. Anna recalled that Trump told Zelensky in February 2025 at the White House that he had no cards. Now, Trump is allegedly asking Zelensky for oil with diesel prices exceeding $6 per gallon. According to Anna, Moscow is receiving a sanctions reprieve and new sales markets while Washington is facing accusations of betrayal in its own Senate. She cited a joint statement from the senators, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Arab News, and SRF as sources. #Ukraine #Trump #Putin (translated)

Anna wrote that Trump achieved a "super deal" in Moscow by bypassing a law. A few hours later, a terminal caught fire in Rostov, through which Russia exports diesel and supplies its army. The law from 2022 does not stop Trump, she wrote; however, Kyiv has nevertheless ensured the supply lines of the Russian army. From a European perspective, this demonstrates more clearly what sanctions are still worth. Anna estimated the capacity of the terminal at around 2.5 million tons per year. The governor confirmed the fire, but the general staff has not yet done so. #UkrainianConflict #Sanktionen #Trump (translated)

Regina Laska wrote that Donald Trump promised hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel after a phone call with Vladimir Putin. The U.S. Treasury then allowed an exemption from the sanctions. Given the midterms in four weeks and a diesel price at record levels, Laska interpreted the move as a possible campaign maneuver. In mid-September, Trump publicly called on Volodymyr Zelensky to stop attacks on Russian refineries. According to a Reuters report led by Laska, at that time three of the six largest Russian diesel refineries were shut down or operating at limited capacity. She also pointed to a Russian export ban on diesel until the end of October and noted that Russia imported almost seven times as much diesel from Belarus from January to July as in the same period of the previous year. Deputy Prime Minister Novak is now talking about surpluses, she wrote; however, it is unclear whether the announced delivery quantities and deadlines will actually be met. Zelensky offered to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries if Russia ends its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Laska referred to this as a symmetrical de-escalation offer that is on the table for the Americans. She also cited rocket attacks on a residential building in Pryluky, glide bombs on city buses in Kramatorsk, and shelling of the energy supply in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa. She warned that Russia would respond to the diesel with terrorism. The EU also criticized Laska: On September 22, Usmanov and Fridman were removed from the sanctions list under pressure from France, Slovakia, and Luxembourg. According to Laska, Zelensky pointed out that the attacks had since increased. At the same time, the EU extended the remaining personal sanctions from six months to three years. Latvia had long resisted the compromise and ultimately paved the way for it by abstaining. Laska compared Trump's diesel concession to Russia with the European compromise in favor of unanimity. In her view, the costs of such agreements are borne not by their authors but by the people in Pryluky, Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Oleshkiv. #Trump #Putin #Dieselpreise (translated)

Anna wrote that Donald Trump announced on Truth Social the delivery of 4.8 million tons of Russian diesel. The agreement was made during a phone call with Vladimir Putin, whose army is bombing Kyiv. The price of diesel is over $6, also due to Trump's Iran war, Anna wrote. This became a problem for him before the midterms. In September, Trump blamed Volodymyr Zelenskyy for attacking Russian refineries; now he is catering to Putin, according to her account. Russia imposed its diesel export ban because of exactly these attacks. Putin said eight days earlier that the diesel could not be sold abroad due to sanctions. Trump did not mention the sanctions in his announcement; whether the Kremlin confirms the stated amounts is unclear, Anna wrote. She contrasted this with the original justification for the Iran war: saving Iranians and making the world safer. Meanwhile, nobody talks about the Iranians anymore, while North Korea flatters Trump and Russia supplies him. Anna asked what a president fights for who flatters Kim Jong Un, bombs Iran, demands the largest island from Denmark, and orders diesel from Putin. In her assessment, the USA is currently dancing at all weddings at the same time. Anna cited AP and The Hill from October 9 and CNN from September 15 as sources. #Trump #Putin #Dieselpreise (translated)

Denis Trubetskoy wrote from Kyiv that, in his opinion, Gerhard Schröder could not lose further standing. He described Ralf Stegner's attempts to justify Schröder's pro-Putin stance as shocking and accused Stegner of a complete loss of reality. #Schröder #Putin #Politik (translated)

The author wrote that Ukraine experienced one of the most intense nights of attacks since the beginning of the war. Russia attacked Kyiv and other regions with 70 missiles and dozens of drones. At least 32 people were killed, including five children; three of them were just one year old. #Ukraine #Krieg #Frieden #UA #RU (translated)

Regina Laska criticized that the AfD and BSW had presented their first joint substantive proposal shortly after the constitution of the new state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt. In this proposal, they demanded, according to their portrayal, to stop German financial and military support for Ukraine and to lift sanctions against Russia. The state government should advocate for this in the Bundesrat; a special session is planned for October 14. Laska referred to a statement by BSW faction vice Claudia Wittig, who had called for a policy that thought more about Köthen than about Kyiv. In contrast, Laska presented results from the Saxony-Anhalt Monitor 2025: out of 1,077 respondents, who could name up to three problems, foreign policy was mentioned twelve times. Infrastructure and mobility ranked first with 360 mentions, economy and finance second with 352, followed by social issues, jobs, and education. Laska wrote that decisions on arms deliveries and sanctions were made by the federal government and the EU, while municipal financial equalization was state law. Therefore, the AfD and BSW had initially used their joint majority for a topic that the state parliament could not change, rather than for municipal finances. She described this as populism and accused the parties of pursuing a policy in the interests of Moscow. #SachsenAnhalt #AfD #Politik (translated)

In a massive Russian attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, at least two people were killed and numerous explosions, caused by missiles and drones, were recorded, while President Zelensky spoke of at least eleven deaths across the country. #UkraineKrieg #RussischeAngriffe #PutinsGeburtstag (translated)

Nico Lange wrote that the rocket attacks on Kyiv are met in Germany with a mix of self-absorption, cynicism, self-pity, and fear of Putin. At the same time, there is hope that things could eventually improve with Putin. In his view, Putin's terror and war crimes will only end when they are stopped. #Putin #Krieg #Frieden (translated)

Regina Laska wrote that, during an air raid, Friedrich Merz and Volodymyr Zelensky stood in front of the destroyed Academy of Sciences in Kyiv, just a few hundred meters from the German embassy. Merz had urged Vladimir Putin to end the war and called the attacks on civilians everyday war crimes. Laska praised Merz's statement but reminded that he had announced in 2024 to deliver Taurus if Putin did not stop the bombing of civilians within 24 hours. Since these attacks continued according to her depiction, she criticized that Merz was no longer mentioning the announced consequences. #Kyjiw #Frieden #Kriegsverbrechen (translated)

Regina Laska wrote to Alice Weidel that the Day of German Unity had been the day before and Friedrich Merz had arrived in Kyiv that morning – just hours after Moscow had warned against a stay there and announced further massive attacks. The one billion euros, according to reports, was not an additional sum but rather planned military aid. Laska stated that aid to Ukraine is often pitted against pensions, health insurance, and the cost of living. According to The Insider, Russian Telegram networks are currently spreading this narrative in Latvia as well. There, the explicitly pro-Ukrainian government won decisively the day before. Latvians live right next to Russia and not in neutral Switzerland, wrote Laska; apparently, they seem to know better which bill will ultimately be more expensive. #Deutschland #Ukraine #Politik (translated)

The author spoke of Russian terror in the Ukrainian capital during the visit of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The Russian attacks specifically targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure, he wrote. He referred to Merz's visit to Kyiv after the Day of German Unity as a strong signal. https://t.co/IT2LQyD3rl #Ukraine #Russland #Frieden #RU #UA #DE (translated)

Regina Laska wrote that the Russian Foreign Ministry warned against a stay in Kyiv on Saturday and announced further massive attacks. Just a few hours later, the train of Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived unexpectedly at the main train station in Kyiv, accompanied by Minister of Economy Katherina Reiche and representatives from the defense and energy industries. Laska called Merz's trip a bold and important sign in light of the situation. Russia has been attacking the Dnipro bridges connecting East and West Kyiv for days, wrote Laska. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian intelligence service has seen documents indicating that Vladimir Putin has issued a new doctrine foreseeing attacks on roads, logistics, schools, and hospitals to drive people out of Kyiv and other cities. The documents are not public, and Moscow has denied the allegations, she added. Laska wrote that people might flee from cities that are becoming increasingly uninhabitable in winter to Poland, the Czech Republic, or Germany. The provision for Ukrainian refugees has cost Germany around 32.4 billion euros since the start of the war, she cited an overview from the Ministry of Finance quoted by Spiegel. She criticized that these costs are being used in Germany as an argument against supporting Ukraine, including against arms deliveries. Merz wrote from Kyiv that Germany is helping out of self-interest because its own security depends on the outcome of the war, Laska stated. He announced one billion euros in military aid, 350 million euros for the energy system, thousands of interception drones, and closer German-Ukrainian defense cooperation. Officially, Taurus cruise missiles are still missing, she wrote. In October 2024, Merz said Germany must deliver Taurus to hit Russian supply routes if Putin does not end the bombardment of the Ukrainian civilian population within 24 hours. Although Moscow has since openly announced further massive attacks, Taurus still has not arrived, wrote Laska. #Ukraine #Russland #Politik (translated)