Putin denies war plans for Europe, claims Donbas is Russian; Starlink status unclear after Trump-Musk call
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Moscow is not preparing for war with Europe but claimed eastern Ukraine's Donbas region is historically Russian territory, while Ukraine denied reports that Starlink service had been restored following a call between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent that nothing had changed regarding Starlink speed limits, contradicting a Wall Street Journal report that functionality returned to normal after Trump asked Musk to lift restrictions. Putin said an agreement with Kyiv is possible, as both sides are "one people," but dismissed Ukrainian territorial losses as "inappropriate" regarding Donbas. Russia confirmed discussions are ongoing about a possible trilateral summit involving Putin, Zelensky, and Trump, with Abu Dhabi considered as a venue for mid-November talks. Meanwhile, US envoy Steve Witkoff faced bipartisan criticism for calling Putin "compassionate" after an American prisoner's release, and Ukraine reported Russian missile attacks on Kyiv's infrastructure.