By Salma El-Sakka
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his government is seeking specific security guarantees from Western allies for post-war support, as nearly five years of war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion continues.
Zelenskyy's comments came in a televised interview late Thursday after two days of discussions in Brussels focused on post-war security and reconstruction. The meetings included officials from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, the European Union, the World Bank, and U.S. investment group BlackRock, according to Ukrainian lead negotiator Rustem Umerov.
Brussels talks address security and reconstruction
Umerov said participants discussed threats from Russia to Ukraine and Europe, as well as joint steps to counter them. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for tangible results, saying the guarantees must be clear on paper: if Russia attacks again, who will do what, with what means, and when.
Zelenskyy sees potential boost from U.S. midterms
Zelenskyy acknowledged that Democrats' sweeping victories in this week's U.S. midterm elections could positively affect assistance, including faster delivery of Patriot missile interceptors vital against Russian airstrikes. He said chances of additional U.S. assistance may now grow.
Trump meets Russian envoy in Washington
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump met Thursday with Moscow envoy Kirill Dmitriev but declined to detail discussions. Trump said there would be a "big agreement" involving more than Ukraine, possibly all of Europe. Trump did not meet with visiting Ukrainian officials who were in Washington for a ceremony with first lady Melania Trump. Trump's son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner said the Brussels talks aimed to develop practical arrangements addressing security concerns of all sides.
Death toll rises from Russian strike on aid center
The death toll from a Russian guided bomb attack Monday on a former school used as a humanitarian aid distribution center in Komyshuvakha, southeast Ukraine, rose to 53 after more bodies were recovered, according to acting regional military administration head Mykhailo Semikin. Ten powerful guided bombs destroyed the facility, and several dozen people remain missing in one of the deadliest attacks in the region in nearly five years.
Relentless drone attacks continue
Russian drones struck five districts of Ukraine's eastern Dnipropetrovsk region more than 10 times overnight, damaging storage facilities, homes, cars, and a sports complex, said regional administrator Oleksandr Hanzha. In central Kirovohrad region, three people were wounded when a drone hit a private residence. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 227 attack drones, including 86 jet-powered ones, with strikes at 14 locations. Air defenses shot down or suppressed 196 drones. Russia's defense ministry said it shot down 142 Ukrainian drones overnight.
