Ukraine's Zelenskyy Seeks More Support in UK Talks

Zelenskyy is in the UK to meet with key European allies, known as the "coalition of the willing. " This visit comes after EU leaders promised to keep supporting Ukraine's defense. The talks will focus on protecting Ukraine's power grid from Russian attacks and providing more long-range missiles. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that he will urge Europe to send more long-range missiles to Ukraine. He also praised Zelenskyy for his courage and determination in seeking an end to the war. Starmer criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for not engaging in meaningful peace talks. Zelenskyy thanked Starmer and the people of the UK for their support. He agreed with Starmer's assessment that Putin is not interested in stopping the war and is instead causing a humanitarian disaster by targeting Ukraine's energy and water supplies. The talks will also discuss providing security guarantees and increased support for Ukraine's air defense and energy infrastructure. Before the talks, Zelenskyy met with King Charles III at Windsor Castle. The king has frequently expressed his support for Ukraine and honored Zelenskyy with a royal salute and an honor guard. This is their third meeting this year. Meanwhile, Russia is sending a top envoy to the United States for talks. Kirill Dmitriev, who heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund, is expected to meet with officials from the Trump administration. This visit comes after the US imposed sanctions on Russia's two main oil companies. In other news, a grenade attack at a Ukrainian train station killed four people and injured twelve others. The attacker, a 23-year-old man, detonated the grenade during a police check. Investigations are ongoing. A Ukrainian drone attack on a Moscow apartment building injured five people, including a child. The attack damaged three apartments and forced the evacuation of around 70 people. Russia's Defense Ministry said that 111 Ukrainian drones were shot down over 13 regions. Germany's Minister of Economy and Energy, Katherina Reiche, visited Kyiv to strengthen Berlin's support for Ukraine's defenses. She pledged Germany's continued backing to help Ukraine get through the upcoming winter. Hungary is working on ways to "circumvent" US sanctions on Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a strong supporter of Putin within the EU, has repeatedly refused to follow Western sanctions on Moscow. The EU delayed a decision on turning frozen Russian assets into cash for Kyiv but approved fresh sanctions on Russian fossil fuels. EU leaders committed to "addressing Ukraine's pressing financial needs" for the next two years and vowed to revisit the issue of Russian assets in December. North Korea held a groundbreaking ceremony for a memorial for its soldiers killed fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hailed the event as a "historic peak" in ties with Russia.