Zelenskyy Demands Written Security Guarantees From Western Allies

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing Western allies for specific, written postwar security guarantees, asking for clarity on how they would respond if Russia attacks again after the nearly five-year war ends. Zelenskyy's comments followed two days of Brussels talks among U.S., U.K., French, German and EU officials, alongside the World Bank and BlackRock, covering reconstruction, 2027 funding and security. He expressed hope that Democratic victories in this week's midterm elections could boost U.S. assistance, including Patriot missile interceptors. President Donald Trump met Thursday with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, hinting at a "big agreement" involving all of Europe, while the EU cautioned that a deal remains distant. Meanwhile, a Russian bomb attack on an aid center killed 53 people, and overnight drone strikes caused widespread power outages across seven Ukrainian regions.