Exclusive: Russia buys ‘holiday homes’ near NATO bases & Putin asks Trump for summit with Xi

Day 1,698. Today, as Russia’s ‘humanitarian’ ballistic missiles land in Kyiv, diplomatic efforts continue to try to get a trilateral meeting between Zelensky, Putin and Trump, with the latter saying "we are closer to peace than ever". And as Ukraine’s General Staff says Russia suffered the highest daily loss since the start of the full-scale invasion, Kyiv also claims to have advanced behind Russian lines around Kupiansk. And we have a Telegraph exclusive that shows how Russia is using civilian fishing trawlers to spy on the UK’s critical undersea cables, with one NATO official telling us: “Some of these ships have never seen a single fish on their deck”.

Day 1,697. Today, Steve Witkoff arrives in Russia to meet Vladimir Putin, after fresh peace talks in Oslo. Trump’s envoy describes the Russian president, extraordinarily, as a “humanitarian”. The Kremlin releases US pensioner Stephen James Hubbard, just in time for the midterms, and says the first tanker included in the Russian diesel deal will leave tomorrow. Elsewhere, the saga over the Starlink switch-off continues, and Nato deploys drones to the Black Sea. Later, Dom and Alex speak to Antonia Langord – usually based in Kyiv – in our London studio.

Day 1,695. Today, following the temporary Starlink-Starshield shutdown last week, we reveal how Musk approached President Trump to slow down Starlink in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the U.S. Ambassador to the EU – following Trump’s last minute executive order to block the bipartisan, Russian sanctions act – warns European companies face "devastating" retaliation from Washington if Brussels moves forward with plans to restrict American tech rivals. Meanwhile, with the so-called “energy ceasefire” a distant memory, we report on the continued attacks by both Russia and Ukraine, including a major strike on an oil terminal in St Petersburg. Finally, we turn to the fundamental questions facing Europe: who will be leading it in a few months' time, and how can pro-Ukraine politicians prepare for the worst case scenarios?

Day 1,692. Today, as President Zelensky arrives for talks with European leaders in Brussels, Russia embodies the geopolitical equivalent of running to teacher to say big boys took their football, by complaining that Ukraine has hit another one of their oil refineries. Donald Trump is accused of betrayal, for the second time this week, but this time from a most unlikely source, and NAFO gets a shout out in the Irish Parliament. And, as we mention football, we end this torrid week with something a bit brighter: a dispatch with Ukraine’s number one football team as they start their Champions League campaign.

Day 1,691. Today, as the blame game over who limited Ukraine’s use of Starlink and Starshield reaches fever pitch, we hear Elon Musk’s rebuttal while White House officials point the finger at him. Meanwhile, President Zelensky breaks cover and admits he feels “betrayed” by President Trump. Later, Dom sits down for an exclusive interview with Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who says Russia is “boiling Europe like a frog”.