EU leaders call on all countries to stop aiding Russia's war against Ukraine

During a European Council meeting in Brussels on Oct. 15-16, European Union leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and expressed readiness to continue providing comprehensive assistance. According to New Voice of Ukraine, the leaders also urged Russia to enter peace talks and agree to a ceasefire. This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested nearly $80 billion more in financing for next year to support the country's fight.

In the United States, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Oct. 16 waiving sweeping sanctions and tariffs previously targeting Russian energy revenues. Channel News Asia reports that this reversal follows a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ease sanctions in exchange for the release of large amounts of diesel into global markets.

The move affects the Lindsey Graham Act, which authorized duties of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, as well as measures targeting Moscow's shadow fleet of tankers.

The Kyiv Independent reports that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated Russia has lost 1,562,970 troops since the full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022. This figure includes 1,950 casualties reported over the past day. The report also lists significant Russian losses in equipment, including 12,415 tanks, 449 aircraft, and two submarines.

While Ukraine has not disclosed its own total losses for operational secrecy, the Kyiv Independent notes that a January 2026 CSIS report estimated Ukraine suffered between 500,000 and 600,000 casualties from February 2022 to December 2025.

Brief written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine, Kyiv Independent, Daily Times, Channel News Asia — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.