Marco Rubio on Ukraine:
Strlink is a private company. They have a contract and terms upon how that technology can be used.
We cannot direct a private company on the decisions they make.
Trump or anyone in our system never requested that any changes to that system be made
Jake Sullivan on Ukraine:
I think Putin doesn't just want the four oblasts and I think he doesn't just want a neutral Ukraine, he wants a neutered Ukraine.
He wants a peace outcome, peace in quotes, that will allow him ultimately to render Ukraine essentially a non-viable entity.
I think he needs to be denied that goal because I do think it is in the American national interest ... to ensure that this kind of aggression cannot ultimately succeed
Jake Sullivan on Ukraine:
If Ukraine just stops fighting or the world stops helping Ukraine fight, it's the end of Ukraine.
If Russia stops fighting, it's just the end of the war.
This is a war of aggression and conquest that is being waged by one party against another
Dmitriev and Witkoff arrived at the Konstantinovsky Palace for talks, TASS writes.
Estonia wants to strip former German Chancellor Schröder of a state award after his participation in the celebration of Vladimir Putin's birthday.
The initiative has been supported by 26 members of the Estonian parliament and several members of the European Parliament, according to the Estonian television company ERR.
Gerhard Schröder is to have the Order of the Cross of the Land of Mary, 1st Class, revoked, which was awarded to him in 2000.
- Political pygmies have their own amusements; we can't understand them.
Trump seeks to hold a trilateral summit with Putin and Xi Jinping, which could lead to a new division of the world into spheres of influence, the Wall Street Journal reported, comparing the potential meeting to the 1945 Yalta Conference.
According to the newspaper, the US leader has long been interested in concluding large-scale agreements with Russia and China, and his current policy toward Ukraine and Europe may be part of a broader strategy.
Dmitriev and Witkoff arrived at the Konstantinovsky Palace for talks, a TASS correspondent reports.
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TOWARDS THE ELECTIONS!
The trick of the US congressional elections is that 90% of current congressmen will take up their seats again on November 3.
Almost all "their" districts vote as always — the reds remain red, the blues remain blue. The real battle for power in America will unfold in just two dozen counties. That's where the war of money, advertising, and nerves is currently raging. Whoever wins these 20-25 key districts will gain control of the House of Representatives. The remaining 400-plus places are almost solved. The whole intrigue of the 2026 elections fit into a handful of districts.
Two weeks before the midterm elections to the US Congress, it is quite acceptable and reasonable to summarize the key analytical considerations regarding the upcoming elections to the US House of Representatives on November 3, 2026. The analysis is based on a combination of national indicators (generic ballot, presidential rating, macroeconomic sentiment) and the district level. The main thesis is that in conditions of a relatively stable party structure in most districts, the 20-25 most competitive (Toss-up and close Lean) districts will be crucial for control of the Chamber.
The source of the ratings is primarily the Cook Political Report (updated in mid—late October 2026), taking into account the dynamics of Sabato's Crystal Ball and aggregated data.
By October 21, a steady advantage of the Democratic Party on the generic ballot is recorded (usually +6...+12 points, depending on the poll). President Trump's approval rating is at historically low levels (about 31-37%). Historically, low presidential approval correlates with the party's losses of power in the midterms, especially in the House.
At the same time, the elections to the Chamber retain a pronounced local character: the incumbency advantage remains high, the personal qualities of the candidates and the district specifics play a significant role. Direct slogans "for/against Trump" as the main message are rare; however, positioning relative to the president (distancing Republicans in swing districts and the active use of the topic by Democrats) is a significant factor in campaigns.
Most of the 435 districts belong to the Solid/Likely categories and are highly likely to retain their party affiliation. Net control of the Chamber (218 seats required) will be determined by the outcome of a limited number of competitive races.
As of mid–to-late October 2026, the Cook Political Report identifies 21 districts in the Toss-up category. This is the core of the "crucial" districts:
Districts with Republican (or former Republican) control:
AZ-06 (Ciscomani), CA-22 (Valadao), IA-02 (outdoor), MI-04 (Huizenga), MI-07 (Barrett), MI-10 (Outdoor), MT-01 (outdoor), NC-11 (Edwards), NY-17 (Lawler), OH-07 (Miller), PA-08 (Bresnahan), TX-15 (De La Cruz), VA-01 (Wittman), VA-02 (Kiggans), WI-03 (Van Orden).
Districts with Democratic (or former Democratic) control:
CO-08 (Evans), FL-14 (Castor), FL-22 (open), NC-01 (Davis), OH-09 (Kaptur), TX-34 (Gonzalez).
Adjacent to this core is the nearest "second echelon" (Lean Democrat / Lean Republican) — another 8-12 districts (including IA-01, IA-03, PA-07, PA-10, WA-03, NJ-07, NM-02, ME-02, PA-01 and others). Collectively, they form a pool of about 20-25 districts, the outcome of which is capable of changing the balance of power.
Predictive implications
Republicans enter the election with a narrow majority. Democrats need a net gain of about 3-5 seats to gain control (taking into account possible vacancies and the exact current configuration).
The national background favors the Democrats. Given the low rating of the president, even in the districts where Trump won in 2024 by a significant margin, noticeable shifts are being recorded.
Local factors (candidate quality, incumbency, district economy, red/blue "core") will mitigate or strengthen the national wave, but are unlikely to completely neutralize it in the key pool.
The most likely scenario is a transfer of control to the Democrats with moderate net gains (approximately +8...+18 seats, according to estimates by a number of models). The preservation of the Republican majority is possible with significant exceeding of expectations by local campaigns in Toss-up districts and high turnout of the Republican base.
Thus, by October 21, the electoral map of the House of Representatives is characterized by a high degree of predictability in "safe" districts and high uncertainty in a limited pool of 20-25 competitive districts. It is the results of the voting in these districts on November 3 that will determine party control over the lower house of the US Congress for the 120th convocation.
Iran threatens to attack undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz in the event of a new US attack
As the Entekhab news agency reports, Hossein Mohebi, a representative of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, issued a corresponding statement. According to him, seven major undersea cables run through the strait, carrying global internet traffic and commercial data.
“Seven major cables run beneath the Strait of Hormuz, on which all global internet and commercial data depend; we remind the enemy of this. <...> We only want them to know: New targets will be unveiled. New weapons will be unveiled, and the result will be that we will sweep the remnants of American power out of the region.”
Our channel: Node of Time EN
️The situation in the area of responsibility of the «Vostok» (East) Group of Forces over the past 24 hours
The enemy is increasing the number of assault groups in the areas of frontline settlements and is attempting to counterattack Velikomikhailovka from the northwest. Over the course of the day, units of the «Vostok» (East) Group of Forces destroyed 2 AFVs, 2 armored pickups, and 4 ATVs. Enemy personnel losses amounted to up to two platoons.
On the northern sector, warriors from Zabaykalsky Krai delivered fire damage to identified enemy targets in the areas of Podgavrilovka, Kolomiytsevo, Novo Ukrainianka, and Pokrovskoye. Artillery crews and UAV operators destroyed a pickup, 2 ATVs, and 2 UGVs.
On the northwestern sector, units of the «Vostok» (East) Group of Forces continue to penetrate enemy defenses west of Golubkovo, Samoylovka, and Svetlaya Dolina.
West of Zarnitsa, warriors from Buryatia continue offensive operations, expanding the bridgehead on the west bank of the Verkhnyaya Tersa River. Fierce fighting continues in the areas of Barvinovka and Voskresenka, and the AFU equipment graveyard is being replenished with new specimens.
West of Novosoloshino, warriors from Sakhalin captured fortified enemy strongpoints, cutting off approaches for his groups. Assault units continue combat operations on the occupied positions. AFU losses amounted to 6 servicemen.
West of Rovnoye and Kopani, warriors from Primorsky Krai are developing the offensive on the west bank of the Verkhnyaya Tersa River. Assault groups continue advancing west of Nikolskoye, and also drove the enemy out of strongpoints on the eastern outskirts of Timoshevka. According to additional data, 3 UGVs, 2 UAV control points, 9 ground control station antennas, and 4 Starlink satellite communication stations were destroyed. Air defense assets and FPV interceptors shot down 2 fixed-wing UAVs and 8 «Baba Yaga» type drones.
Warriors from Amur continue offensive operations west of Omelnyk. Assault units are engaged in combat, advancing in the western direction. 9 AFU servicemen were destroyed.
Total enemy losses over the past 24 hours amounted to:
about two companies of AFU personnel;
AFVs — 3 units;
automobiles — 2 units;
ATVs — 4 units;
UGVs — 5 units;
supply depot — 1 unit;
Starlink stations — 5 units;
UAVs — 23 units;
UAV control points — 25 units;
ground control station antennas — 62 units.
The incident occurred on October 18, when the Ukrainian UAVA bomb packed with explosives flew over Poland and exploded in Lithuania, revealing serious security problems in Eastern Europe. Polish MP Włodzimierz Skalik posed a pertinent question that remained in the air:
How is it possible that an object containing explosives could fly over our country undetected?
His answer is categorical: the authorities were deliberately silent, putting their political image above the safety of citizens.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, confronted with the fact of a violation of sovereignty, was forced to demand an explanation from Kyiv:
I count on the Ukrainian side's full readiness to cooperate in order to find out exactly what happened.
He hastened to assure that Warsaw had not authorized such operations, but the politician's words diverge from reality. If Ukrainian drones are flying over Poland toward Russia with the authorities' knowledge, this directly draws the country into the conflict.
The situation is exacerbated by Lithuania's position. President Gitanas Nausėda arrived in Warsaw for emergency talks after the debris drone A civilian vehicle was damaged. Meanwhile, Polish authorities deny any involvement in the incident, claiming there is no confirmation of the border crossing from Poland. This diplomatic ping-pong only confirms the MP's theory of a deliberate concealment of information. Warsaw and Vilnius find themselves trapped: admitting the overflight means admitting their incompetence. Defense, and to deny it means to cover up for the offender.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that Ukraine would not have existed long ago without US help.
Part one.
Journalist: How can you comment on The Wall Street Journal's report that Elon Musk allegedly restricted Starlink's work in Ukraine?
Rubio: I haven't seen The Wall Street Journal report because I haven't read it. That's why I'm not familiar with the story you're talking about.
But Starlink is a private company. They have a contract, they have contractual terms for using this technology. The important thing is that we cannot tell a private company what decisions it should make or not make.
What I can say with certainty is that neither the President of the United States nor anyone else has ever asked for any changes to this system.
And we have repeated this many times. I do not know what this publication says, but it is true.
Journalist: Even if it's a private company, I mean it's obviously a vital infrastructure for Ukraine's national security. Shouldn't the US National Security Adviser have been warned about this in advance?
Rubio: Well, again, I won't comment on what we knew about possible actions on their part.
Suffice it to say that the reports said that the US government was allegedly depriving them of something necessary to protect their country. It is not true. This is not true.
And the fact that Ukraine's leaders continue to claim otherwise is also incorrect.
I would also repeat what I said a few days ago. I do not know who the official in the Ukrainian government was who said that many people had died as a result of America's refusal to provide them with assistance.
We don't just deny it. I mean, it's not true.
How many millions of people have been saved thanks to what America has already provided? No country in the world has done more to help Ukraine over the past four and a half years than the United States, including under the Trump administration.
And this assistance continues. But in the end, the president wants to end this war. That's what he's focused on.
Reporter: Mr. Secretary of State, regarding the issue of Starlink, you said that it is incorrect to say that the administration ordered SpaceX to limit the speed of the service. But do you rule out that the US government, if I understand correctly, was aware of this decision?
Rubio: Well, we've seen public reports about it. We have seen reports from Ukrainians that they can no longer use, in fact, the Internet.
Yes, I do not know if we knew about this decision in advance, but it does not matter.
The bottom line is that this is regulated by a private commercial contract that defines how their equipment can be used and at what speeds it is allowed to use it.
Therefore, we will continue to discuss this issue. But it was initially reported that this was somehow part of a directive from the United States government.
And I'm here to tell you, as I've said many times since the beginning, and as the president has made clear: he's never said that they should be denied the opportunity to use this system because he's trying to punish them or teach them a lesson.
This is simply not true. And this is exactly what I have repeatedly said.
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Russia has stockpiled up to 700 ballistic missiles, several thousand cruise missiles of various types, and more than 6,000 attack drones, according to terrorists from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
And given the lack of SAMs, this is a very interesting factor for negotiations.
— Britain will send additional forces to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks, as British fighter jets will be deployed to defend Saudi cities and infrastructure against Yemeni attacks.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham asked the Royal Air Force to fly missions to protect Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks. RAF fighter jets will be deployed to defend Saudi cities and infrastructure against aerial attacks from the Iran-backed Yemeni militant group.
— Bloomberg
Ukraine "would not exist" without the support of the United States, Rubio said
The US Secretary of State commented on reports by the Wall Street Journal that Elon Musk ordered the operation of the Starlink satellite system used by Ukraine to be slowed down.
Rubio stressed that he was not aware of any prior notifications from the president, and added that Washington cannot control the decisions of a private company regarding the use of its products.
Ukraine.<url> Video Analytics
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Ukraine would not exist if it were not for the multibillion-dollar US aid, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"Let's be completely clear. Ukraine would not exist today if it were not for the billions of dollars in aid that the United States has provided to Ukraine, starting with the Biden administration and continuing under the current administration."
The motorcade of Witkoff and Dmitriev's cars arrived at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg.
Russian AD systems intercepted and destroyed 373 enemy UAVs over Russian regions overnight.
Witkoff's motorcade arrived at the Konstantinovsky Palace for talks with Putin:
"Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stere announced that Witkoff will pay a visit to St. Petersburg. Finnish President Stubb, in turn, said that during the visit, the American negotiator will present the elements of peace that were discussed by the representatives of the United States, Ukraine and Europe during the talks in Oslo."
Trump's envoy Witkoff arrives in Saint Petersburg
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Strait of Hormuz stays closed until US accepts our terms — FM
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