Safest Countries in the World See Ukraine Diplomacy Shift as Zelensky Seeks Chinese Leverage on Russia

In a development watched closely by safest countries in the world, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Beijing holds influence over Moscow that it should use to help end the war in Ukraine, while technical-level peace talks between Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators are scheduled for early November in Abu Dhabi, with a potential leaders' summit to follow. [1] [4]

Zelensky's Call for Chinese Influence on Russia

Zelensky spoke virtually at the Hudson Institute, saying he does not know the agenda for a proposed summit of US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but warned it must not lead to the division of Ukraine. [1] Zelensky described China as a strong country with influence over Russia, one of its largest trade partners, and expressed hope that Beijing would use that leverage to stop the war. [1] Zelensky said he did not know what would be discussed at the potential meeting between US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. [1] However, Zelensky described China as a “strong” country with “influence” over Russia, one of its largest trade partners. [1]

November Technical Talks in Abu Dhabi

Zelensky said peace negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US agreed to meet at a technical level in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi after he spoke with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff following their meeting with Putin. [4] Zelensky said he spoke with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff on Friday after their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week. [4] He said any peace agreement would need strong security guarantees for Ukraine and funding for 10 years to maintain the Ukrainian army. [4] “The plan is to meet in the first half of November, and as early as possible, of course,” Zelensky told the Hudson Institute think tank via a video link. [4] He said much would depend on Russia, noting that a similar meeting expected this month had not materialized. [4] Zelensky stressed the importance of continued diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire and end the war, now in its fifth year, adding that Europe should also be involved in the talks. [4] The Ukrainian president said it was critical for the technical discussions to be followed by a meeting of the countries’ leaders. [4]

Melania Trump announces truce in Ukrainian city on brink of disaster. — Source: channelnewsasia

Melania Trump's Brokered Ceasefire in Oleshky

In a separate development, US First Lady Melania Trump announced she brokered a localised ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, set to begin on Oct 29, allowing residents to evacuate to either Ukraine or Russia with humanitarian aid access. [3] US First Lady Melania Trump described herself as an “exclusive intermediary” in ceasefire talks for the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, with the truce expected to begin on Oct 29. [3] Residents in the Russian-occupied city would be allowed to choose to evacuate to either Ukraine or Russia under the truce, which would begin on Oct 29, said a statement from her office. [3] "The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster," the 56-year-old wife of US President Donald Trump said in the statement. [3] "It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible." [3] The Kremlin welcomed Melania Trump's "humanitarian" involvement, while Russia's army chief said it would observe the truce from 1am GMT (9am, Singapore time) on Oct 27. [3] Trump praised his wife, saying the Oleshky ceasefire was "her initiative" and came after her office contacted both sides. [3] "What she wants to do is save children," Trump told reporters. [3] Melania Trump said she had worked with the Russian and Ukrainian leaderships on the Oleshky plan - describing herself as an "exclusive intermediary." [3] She said that civilian leaders from both countries would "work together" and visit the devastated city to assess aid needs. [3] "Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine," she said. [3] She added that she an "impartial American media organization" would "accompany and document Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground throughout the process" to ensure residents' wishes were respected. [3] Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also praised Melania. [3]

Ukrainian Concerns Over Sanctions Relief for Russia

Ukrainian officials expressed concern that the Trump administration may grant further sanctions relief to Russia's fertilizer industry as part of an economic incentives approach to persuade Moscow to end the war, following a diesel deal that drew criticism from Kyiv. [5] U.S. President Donald Trump may be considering further sanctions relief for Russia following his recent diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, several Ukrainian and U.S. officials familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. [5] The potential move would fit an approach in which the Trump administration offers Russia economic benefits in hopes of persuading Moscow to end its war against Ukraine, one U.S. government official and one Senate official said. [5] Trump's diesel deal with Putin has drawn bipartisan criticism in Washington and strained relations with Kyiv. [5] President Volodymyr Zelensky called the agreement a "weak move," warning that it could pave the way for further sanctions relief. [5] Now, Ukrainian officials fear the administration could explore a deal involving Russia's fertilizer industry, two people familiar with the matter said. [5] The U.S. has not directly sanctioned Russia's fertilizer industry or banned imports of Russian fertilizers. [5] But any potential agreement could provide sanctions relief for vessels, companies, banks, and individuals linked to the industry, one senior Ukrainian official said. [5] "The fertilizer story is quite old, and Russians were trying to push it long ago," a Ukrainian intelligence official told the Kyiv Independent. [5] "Russians always lobbied for fertilizer relief in contacts with Americans and Europeans," the official added. [5] "They actually left BSGI because of no progress on fertilizers." [5] Trump announced the diesel deal on Oct. 9, saying Russia had agreed to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel to the U.S. and international markets. [5] "Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter," Trump wrote on Truth Social. [5] The announcement raised questions in Washington about the deal's legality. [5] "We view the Russian diesel deal as illegal as per the 2022 law that had passed both chambers and was signed into law," one Senate official said. [5] Several people familiar with the matter said Democratic officials were contacting U.S. industries involved in facilitating the deal to ensure they understood the potential legal and investigative risks. [5]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks virtually at the Hudson Institute. — Source: cyprusmail

Ongoing Military and Technical Challenges

Ukraine’s military was still grappling with access to Starlink communications systems, Zelenskiy said, despite US assurances that speed restrictions had been removed. [4] “The speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there, and the speed has not been restored,” he said, contradicting a statement by US President Donald Trump that the services had been fully restored. [4] Ukraine was also waiting for a shipment of air defense interceptors that had been previously agreed, Zelenskiy said, complicating Ukrainian defensive efforts in the face of nearly daily massive attacks by Russian drones and missiles. [4]

Context of the Five-Year War and Diplomatic Path Forward in Safest Countries in the World

Oleshky, on the southern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region, was seized by Russian troops in 2022. [3] The population has dropped from about 24,000 before Russia invaded to around 2,000 today. [3] Former residents of the city told AFP earlier this month that people there were caught in the crossfire between Russia and Ukraine and facing worsening shortages of food and medication. [3] Zelenskiy stressed the importance of continued diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire and end the war, now in its fifth year, adding that Europe should also be involved in the talks. [4] He said any peace agreement would need strong security guarantees for Ukraine and funding for 10 years to maintain the Ukrainian army. [4] The Ukrainian president said it was critical for the technical discussions to be followed by a meeting of the countries’ leaders. [4] Ukrainian officials argue that offering concessions before securing a ceasefire is unlikely to persuade Putin to stop fighting. [5] Instead, they say, such agreements could provide Russia with additional revenue while leaving Moscow's military objectives unchanged. [5] "It's clear that this only encourages Putin," one senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent. [5] "He feels that he can go with a war against us, and on top of that, our allies are lifting sanctions against him and striking deals with him." [5] Speaking to Russian media on Oct. 22, Putin once again made his intentions clear. [5] Asked whether he would agree to a ceasefire allowing Ukraine to retain the territory it controls, he replied: "It's not their territory; it's the territory of historical Russia." [5]

What to watch next: Technical-level talks between Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators are set for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi, with a potential leaders’ summit to follow depending on Russia’s actions.

Further Reading

• Ukraine War Map