Europe Today: Trump claims Ukraine-Russia energy ceasefire as Baltics stay on alert

Name: Europe Today: Trump claims Ukraine-Russia energy ceasefire as Baltics stay on alert
Uploaded: 2026-10-12T07:03:46+00:00
Duration: 20 min 27 s
Channel: euronews (in English)

00:14Good morning, it's Monday, October 12th. You're watching Euronews and this is Europe Today.

00:22Coming up, Riyadh's international airport remained closed on Sunday after an attack

00:27killed 12 people. The strike drew condemnation from the United Nations and the European Union

00:33as the Iran-backed Houthis renewed their threats and Washington considered its response.

00:39U.S. President Trump said his government might join strikes against the Houthi rebels,

00:44something he was so far reluctant to do. Ukrainian drones hit a data center of a company

00:50being dubbed Russia's Google yesterday, forcing the facility near Moscow to pause operations.

00:56It was the third attack on the Russian tech giant Yantex in one week. Hours later,

01:02President Trump announced an energy ceasefire. The latest attack came after President Zelensky

01:07had heavily criticized Trump's diesel deal with Moscow, which will see millions of tons

01:12of Russian diesel released into the U.S. And authorities in Poland have arrested a man

01:19who was planning to assassinate Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his defense minister,

01:23according to police sources. The man had reportedly sent threatening emails to security services,

01:29which prompted a crisis meeting of top officials yesterday. Poland has already been on high alert

01:35after a series of school stabbings and fears of a possible Russian hybrid attack.

01:41Welcome to the program. I'm Stefan Grobel.

01:44U.S. President Donald Trump says Russia and Ukraine have agreed on to an immediate ceasefire

01:50on attacks against energy infrastructure. Trump announced the agreement on Truth Social,

01:55saying that both parties have agreed. The announcement comes just a day after Trump called

02:01for Ukraine to replace President Zelensky, accusing Kiev rather than Moscow of standing in the way of peace.

02:08And on Friday, Trump announced the controversial deal with Vladimir Putin to ease sanctions on Russian

02:14diesel exports, drawing sharp criticism from Kiev and Europe. In this situation, we need the analysis of our

02:21Ukraine correspondent, Sasha Vakulina, who is here with me in the studio right now. Good morning, Sasha.

02:28Good morning.

02:28So a lot to unpack here, but first on the ceasefire. Trump says both sides have agreed, but Zelensky's

02:35response suggested that, you know, he wasn't aware of any deal. So what has been agreed upon and

02:43whatever it is, is it in effect? Indeed, even now, hours later, it's not clear whether this is the

02:49deal agreed between and with Kiev and Moscow or whether this is a unilateral declaration, as the one

02:55we already heard from Donald Trump earlier in September when he said that there was another energy

03:00ceasefire, which actually never materialized. Now, this is what Donald Trump said on Truth Social. He

03:05said, effective immediately, there is an energy ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

03:12Both parties have agreed. Do not break it. Now, Kiev and Vladimir Zelensky have been pitching the idea of

03:20energy ceasefire for months, Stefan, given the fact that Russia is deliberately knocking out all of

03:25Ukraine's energy infrastructure. And even yesterday and the day before yesterday in some of the

03:29neighborhoods of Kiev, there were over 20 hours without any electricity. This is how the situation

03:35is bad already now in October. But it's not clear because this is what Zelensky said following Donald

03:42Trump's statement and the ceasefire that he announced.

03:50It is important that this becomes a reality. Ukraine supports all realistic and reliable formats

03:56for a ceasefire and an end to the war. Ukraine is prepared not to carry out strikes against Russia's

04:03energy sector. And we are counting on a similar willingness on Russia's part and on an agreement

04:07from the president of the United States of America on this matter. We welcome such an agreement.

04:17What is included in the city? Because there is also information that this deal is rather refinery for

04:22refinery. If that is the case, this is very tricky because there's only one big refinery in Ukraine,

04:28which has already been damaged by Russia. And this is, of course, not the case in Russia, where Ukraine

04:32is targeting specifically oil refineries to make sure that Russia does not have more money to prolong its

04:40war. Well, what Moscow is targeting is civilian energy infrastructure stuff. And so this is where it's not clear

04:46what's in the deal. Sasha, there seems to be a striking change in Trump's tone towards Zelensky,

04:53saying he's standing in the way of peace, he should be replaced, which reminds me of that infamous Oval

05:00Office meeting with Trump, J.D. Vance and Zelensky. What does it tell us about the current relationship

05:07between the U.S. and Ukraine? You know, the only one, Stefan, everybody had this sort of a flashback of

05:12that famous scandal in the Oval Office in February 2025, when Zelensky was accused of not being

05:17grateful, not saying thank you, and so on and so forth. Things have changed since, though, because

05:22while the United States and the Donald Trump administration clearly trying to put more

05:27pressure on Zelensky to force Kiev into a deal, to force Kiev into more concessions,

05:34the U.S. has less leverage if we compare the situation to what was happening in 2025. So let's

05:39realistically look at what can Washington do now to put even more pressure on Kiev. Now,

05:44there are a few options here on the table. They could stop sharing intel, and that would be a very

05:49dangerous thing, obviously, for Ukraine in defending itself from Russia's war. There could be some issues

05:55with the cutoff Starlink connection, which, of course, is also a very crucial aspect for the

05:59armed forces of Ukraine. Or there could be some cuts with PURE. This is prioritized Ukraine requirement

06:06list. This is how the United States is selling weapons to Europe for Ukraine. So there are these

06:11three options that are being discussed. When it comes to PURE, though, this is also something that

06:15brings billions to the United States and to Washington. So I would say this is probably going

06:19to be the last option for Washington, realistically speaking, of looking into. But when it comes to the

06:25pressure over elections, Zelensky said that if there is a ceasefire for at least 60 days, he is ready

06:30to organize elections. Notably, Donald Trump did not mention any possibility or any need for

06:36elections or change of the leadership in Russia, Stefan.

06:40All right, Sasha, Sasha Vokulina reporting for us here. And please keep doing what you're doing

06:46going forward. And now let's head straight to Warsaw, where Zelensky is set to address the security

06:53conference as he seeks to shore up support from European allies. Our chief editor, Maria Tadeo,

06:59joins us from the Polish capital. She'll also be speaking to Poland's finance minister later

07:04today. Good morning, Maria. What can we expect from Zelensky's address? And how important is

07:10European support for Kiev at this critical moment?

07:14Well, good morning, Stefan. The president or the message from the president of Ukraine will be one of

07:19coordination and alignment. Obviously, a very turbulent weekend. You just debriefed the tensions both over

07:26the Russian diesel deal, but also the comments and the criticism escalating from the president of

07:32the U.S. saying Ukraine now needs a new leader, one that, quote, can actually make a deal to that

07:39point and amid that pressure. Yesterday, the president of Ukraine, Zelensky, had a phone call with the head

07:46of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen, an emergency call. They're not calling that. They're not putting that

07:51name on it, but essentially that's what it is. The head of the commission sent out a readout saying that

07:56she does support an energy ceasefire if that means that Ukrainian energy infrastructure will be spared

08:03from Russian attacks. And she also said, quote, she has a full support to President Zelensky. A lot of

08:09that politically has to be seen in the context of those comments from President Trump indicating that

08:15Zelensky is not the right man to lead the country. The head of the commission saying the opposite. She also

08:20added

08:21that this is a man who's, quote, fighting for the freedom of his country. She also said that Ukraine

08:26will be front and center at the European summit on Thursday. We are expecting President Zelensky to be

08:32there in person in Brussels. She said that they will talk about financing and they would talk about

08:38money for drones and missiles. But the question, the money question, is a difficult one, Stefan, because

08:44for the time being and up until now, it's the Europeans that are very much providing the bulk of the

08:49financing. They pay for the weapons to through NATO. The U.S. no longer pays for any of the expenses

08:54related to the war for the Europeans. This is a tricky question. And the head of the commission

08:59also says that the EU will put together a global effort to get global funding for Ukraine. Obviously,

09:06this is a money question. And winter has not even started yet. All right. Our EU editor,

09:13Maria Tadeo, from the Warsaw Security Forum, thank you very much. As we've heard, Europe's eastern

09:20flank is facing another moment of heightened tension. Latvia and its Baltic neighbors are,

09:26once again, on alert amid growing concerns over Russian drones, airspace violations and a broader

09:32campaign of hybrid pressure against NATO. One of the top topics at the EU's Foreign Affairs Council

09:38in Luxembourg today. Is Moscow testing Europe's resolve? And how close are we to a dangerous

09:45escalation? We'll put these questions now to Latvia's Foreign Minister, Baiba Braje. Good

09:51morning, madam. Great to have you on. Good morning from Luxembourg City. We are at the EU

09:57Foreign Affairs meeting. Wonderful. So a lot has happened over the past 48 hours around Latvia.

10:05What is your assessment of the security situation in the region right now? How serious is the threat?

10:13I think in the big picture, there hasn't been significant change. Russia is stuck in Ukraine.

10:21Ukraine is defending herself. Russia is not only advancing, but actually losing some of the ground

10:26in Donbass. And Russia is unable to challenge NATO militarily. But of course, Russia's warfare doctrine

10:35doesn't include only conventional military tactics. It also includes submilitary, subconventional

10:42warfare. And that is what sometimes is called hybrid, which is too fluffy and too nice to actually be

10:49characterized. What it is, is sabotage. If necessary, it's killing of people, threats to the chiefs of

10:57military companies, or actual possible implementation of those threats if necessary. We saw attack on Leipzig

11:03airport, massive cyber attacks, constant cyber attacks everywhere, information, disinformation attacks,

11:12hostile activities elsewhere. So it's everything that doesn't necessarily involve direct military attack,

11:19but it's still part of Russia's doctrine. Madam, are you concerned that what we are seeing is moving

11:25beyond hybrid warfare into a more direct military confrontation with Russia? And does Moscow feel

11:31emboldened by Trump's pressure campaign? As I said, for now, the military evaluation and assessment is the

11:41same for the same for the whole of NATO, also here in the Baltic states, that Russia is enabling

11:47to challenge NATO. So that means it cannot militarily attack because it doesn't have sufficient capabilities. And

11:59again, it's stuck in Ukraine. But of course, we see other developments, we see that Belarus enabled by Russia is

12:09pushing massive groups of illegal migrants against border of EU and NATO, and that's a border in Latvia.

12:15So we are defending that border, but we see that there is an organizational sort of aspect to it all,

12:23that it's not just happening by itself. And groups of 20 or more people trying to climb over the border,

12:31tunnels, you know, people stealing cameras on the border. So there is a sort of tension quite clearly

12:40that is present.

12:42And do you believe NATO's eastern flank is sufficiently protected today? Yes or no?

12:49Yes, we have 14 allies with us here in Latvia. Canadians, you know, neighbors and Polish and Slovaks

13:00and others. So we have not only Latvian own defense forces, but also our NATO allies together and various

13:09capabilities for the air, for the land, for the sea, to make sure that we deter. NATO is deterrence.

13:17NATO's KPI is peace. It's a peace organization. And it has been successful since its foundation in

13:241949. So we have to continue that. All right. Baiba Braje, the Latvian foreign minister,

13:30thank you so much for your time this morning. The Saudi capital, Riyadh, is facing a major security

13:36crisis after a deadly missile attack on King Khalid International Airport killed at least 12 people

13:42and injured more than 300. Saudi Arabia is vowing a firm response, while the Houthis, suspected to be behind

13:49the attack, are warning airlines and passengers to stay away from Saudi airports. With Riyadh's main airport

13:56closed and tensions escalating, the question now is how far this confrontation could spread and whether the U.S.

14:03could be drawn directly into it. For more on this, let's head over to Doha to our correspondent, Laila Humeyra.

14:10Good morning, Laila. So Saudi Arabia is dealing with the aftermath of this deadly attack on Riyadh's airport.

14:17What's the latest?

14:20Good morning, Stefan. That's right. As you said, for the second straight day, Houthi rebels have struck the Saudi Arabian

14:27capital,

14:27plunging the region deeper into a major security crisis. On Sunday, a new Houthi projectile hit passenger

14:33terminals at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, causing a fire to break out and multiple injuries.

14:40That, of course, follows Saturday's devastating strike, which killed 12 people and injured more than 300 others.

14:47Now, as you said, all operations in the main airport have been fully suspended, and the Houthi rebels have claimed

14:54responsibilities for these attacks. But they've also accused the Saudi-led coalition of killing civilians at its airport

14:59in the capital, Sana'a, over the last couple of days. Now, in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Donald

15:04Trump says

15:05that he has condemned these attacks, but he has also stated that they are weighing, considering, possibly joining

15:12the military campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Of course, the Houthi rebels have since now targeted

15:18a lot of Saudi Arabia's energy, key civilian and air infrastructure as well. Now, all these escalations,

15:25Stefan, point to a continuation of the war and effectively opening up a new front in this regional

15:31conflict. We're possibly looking at months of uncertainty and instability in this region.

15:35And Laila, Iran has been carrying out major missile tests, indicating that it's ready to be in this war

15:43longer than we thought capable. At the same time, the U.S. seems to be reassessing and repositioning its assets

15:50and bombers in the region, too. What does this mean for the war, even as de-escalation efforts remain in

15:57place?

15:59That's right. As you said, Iran has raised the regional states to a whole new level by test-firing multiple

16:04ballistic missiles.

16:05Now, experts say this shows, clearly confirms, how much Tehran is capable still of producing those drones and missiles,

16:13even after months of heavy bombing. The U.S. on its side has also been reassessing its military assets in

16:19the region,

16:19redeploying bombers and refueling planes and aircraft carriers and such.

16:24And U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out any new military action before the November 3rd midterm elections.

16:30But Iranian officials have said that they will ignore any sort of rhetoric coming out of the White House,

16:35essentially saying that they are locked in for a prolonged and long-term conflict.

16:40And, of course, this is...

16:43That's all. Thanks.

16:45All right. That was our correspondent, Lyra Humeyra, in Doha. Thank you very much.

16:51From the Middle East to France now.

16:53The country is facing a dangerous economic and political balancing act.

16:58Thousands of students are taking to the streets, demanding more resources and better conditions,

17:02while the government is struggling to repair public finances already under severe pressure.

17:08With the deficit around 5% of GDP and public debt approaching 120%,

17:14Paris has very little room to spend its way out of the crisis.

17:19So, how serious is the risk of a wider economic and political crisis?

17:24To get to the bottom of this, I'm now joined by French economist and essayist Nicolas Bouzou.

17:29Good morning to you.

17:31Good morning.

17:32So, you said already in June that the situation in France was a catastrophe.

17:39Well, things haven't gotten any better since.

17:42Is France the sick man of Europe?

17:45Yeah, I think that the situation is very tough because we are at the end of the system.

17:52I mean that we have in France, as you know, a very big welfare state, very large, so it's a

17:58good thing.

17:58But the economic growth is not more strong to be able to support this welfare state.

18:08And that's why we suffer from a huge deficit, from a rising public debt.

18:15And the most worrying point is that our long-term interest rate, they are going to 5%.

18:22And economists know that 5% for an economy like France is an unsensensible interest rate.

18:31I mean that the public debt is automatically rising.

18:35So, yes, it's a quite difficult situation.

18:37Nicolas, what worries financial markets more?

18:40France's level of debt, its persistent deficits, or the apparent political inability to agree on spending cuts?

18:48Both.

18:49The public debt is huge, but other countries have big public debt.

18:54So, I think that the main problem is a public deficit.

18:57I mean the fact that we are not able to reduce our public debt.

19:01But the second problem, you're perfectly right, is the political uncertainty, because the government has not a majority at the

19:10parliament.

19:11But we have a presidential election in five months, which is very, very large.

19:18Far-right can win, but far-left can win.

19:22And their programs are not very precise in the challenge of the public debt.

19:28And looking ahead at the presidential election next year, with both extremes gaining ground, is the worst yet to come?

19:36Very briefly.

19:38In France, the economic situation, basically, we have some strength.

19:43Electricity, a very strong corporate sector, a government, which is quite competent, I mean.

19:52So, I think that, basically, the situation is not so bad, but we are facing a big problem of public

20:00finance.

20:00So, it's true.

20:01But if we solve that, France will be okay.

20:03All right.

20:04That's all we have time for.

20:05Nicolas Bouzou, thank you so much for helping us understand what's going on in France right now.

20:09That does it for us today.

20:12I'm Stefan Grobe, and I'll see you tomorrow.

20:25I'll see you tomorrow.

Europe Today: Trump claims Ukraine-Russia energy ceasefire as Baltics stay on alert

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