Press review: Russian asset grab back on EU agenda and Starlink or no, Ukraine to fight on

Press review: Russian asset grab back on EU agenda and Starlink or no, Ukraine to fight on Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, October 16th© AP Photo/Jean-Francois BadiasMOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. This week's EU summit returns to the idea of seizing Russian assets; facing threats of being cut off from Starlink, Ukraine makes other plans; and what is the future of the US Green Card Lottery. These stories topped Friday's newspaper headlines in Russia. Izvestia: EU revisits idea of confiscating Russian assets at summit The EU opened a two-day summit in Brussels on October 15. For the first time since the special military operation began, the Europeans postponed discussions on Ukraine to the second day of the event as they decided to discuss the European Union’s new budget for 2028-2034 first. Earlier, the European Commission (EC) proposed a bloated budget of €1.76 trillion. Read alsoMoscow unaware of US attempts to unfreeze its assets in EU — Kremlin Meanwhile, European auditors are ringing alarm bells about the growing debt, which could climb to €1 trillion by 2027 and cause a "hole" in the current budget. Moreover, all EU economies are struggling amid the energy crisis around the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. The problem is also aggravated by Kiev's growing demands. According to the draft budget, the EC proposed allocations of up to €88.8 billion for 2028-2034. However, there is no extra money, and the EU is now coming back to the idea of using frozen Russian assets by transferring them to a special European structure to finance Ukraine further down the road. "This idea is being considered and revisited," French member of the European Parliament Thierry Mariani told Izvestia. "Belgium, which holds the bulk of these funds, dissuaded its partners from putting that idea into practice in December, and the EU eventually agreed a €90 billion loan. Today, Kiev insists that this issue be reconsidered," he noted. "As regards Belgium, it considers this idea crazy as Moscow could immobilize European assets in response," Mariani warned. Today, the likelihood of using these assets for a loan to Ukraine is extremely low. Such a step would require absolute unanimity within the European Union, Mikhail Vedernikov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained to Izvestia. However, some leaders, including Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, have openly opposed this initiative and promised to block it. Nevertheless, Slovakia will hold an early election in 2027, with Fico’s positions assessed as quite weak. If left-liberal politicians who support the policy course pursued by Brussels come to power in Bratislava, a decision on assets may well be made in a year, the expert concluded. Apart from Russia’s assets, European bureaucrats will discuss additional restrictions on Moscow. According to Politico, the EU is planning to call for more restrictions on Russian oil exports in the summit communique. Earlier, Brussels approved a 22nd sanctions package, blacklisting hundreds of new Russian individuals, lenders and oil tankers. However, the EU’s sanctions policy cannot affect Russia’s policy on Ukraine, Mariani argued. "This shows that this sanctions policy does not work and only leads to impoverishing the population," the politician maintained. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Ukraine ready to push ahead amid potential Starlink cutoff Tensions between Kiev and Washington will seemingly escalate after Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky said that the Ukrainian armed forces will continue to target Russian oil refineries. Earlier, according to media reports, the Americans warned Kiev that the United States would in that case "immediately" cancel intelligence sharing, cut off the Starlink satellite internet system, and halt military aid. Read alsoBritain to supply Ukraine with more Storm Shadow missiles — Bloomberg Even as this has not happened yet, the possibility remains, observers say. Therefore, the Zelensky regime is apparently preparing to wage combat against Russia without support from the United States, relying on NATO’s European allies and the EU instead. This slightly increases Russia’s chances of achieving the objectives of its special military operation and defeating the enemy faster. Whether things progress that way - only time will tell. A recent remark from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been making the rounds in the media and with pundits, after the billionaire called on Zelensky to resign, otherwise "the slaughter" would continue. The call came after almost identical statements from US President Donald Trump. "It is Musk who owns the rights to Starlink, therefore he can de facto influence Ukraine’s defensive capabilities," retired Lieutenant-General Yury Netkachev, a military expert, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. According to him, with the diesel deal and ambitions to ease sanctions on Russia, Trump has provided Moscow with an opportunity not only to improve its economic situation but also buttress its position in negotiations to end the conflict. However, Netkachev warned, one should not be lulled into a false sense of security by this "friendly" position of the current US administration, for Trump’s foreign policy options could be significantly curtailed following the Congressional election, and the US political elite may return to supporting Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kiev's intelligence situation isn't all lost without the US. "Two-thirds of the intelligence received by Ukraine come from European countries, primarily France," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter. According to him, among other things, European countries share satellite images that Kiev uses to detect targets. His remark came amid reports that the US has threatened to limit information sharing because of strikes on Russian oil refineries. Barrot also said the Europeans provide the bulk of support for Ukraine. The EU has recently transferred €6 billion to Kiev, he added. Vedomosti: Odds US brings back Green Card Lottery The US State Department was ordered to reopen the Green Card Lottery by October 18 and publicly announce the registration dates on its official platforms. The order came from a US federal judge in California, according to the court’s database updated on Wednesday night. Registration will remain open for 30 days, in line with the court order. In other words, anyone who wants to can enter the 2027 drawing. The issue reverberated after the Trump administration formally refused to open registration citing delays, even as back in November 2025 the US Department of State shared plans to reopen registration for the 2027 fiscal year running from October 1, 2026 on its website. It is worth noting that the Green Card Lottery is a mandatory process, as Congress authorizes the allocation of up to 55,000 such documents annually to foreign citizens. However, only a portion of all available Green Cards are distributed through the lottery, not all of them. According to the US Department of State’s website, 20.8 million people applied for the 2026 program, from which 129,516 individuals were selected. Among Africans registered for the DV-2026 Diversity Visa Program, the bulk was from Algeria (5,457 applicants), Afghanistan led all Asian countries with 4,200, the Bahamas - North America with 23, 599 Australians led the way for Oceania, and 1,596 Peruvians from South America. Russia led all European countries with 5,510 registered and selected applicants, followed by Ukraine with 5,283. Even as the DV-2026 program was mandated by federal law enacted by Congress, the Trump administration effectively delayed the start of the registration process, Marina Chernykh, a research fellow at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained to Vedomosti. According to her, the California court ruled that the US State Department provide an opportunity for applications to be submitted, whereas the federal government insisted that it is no longer possible to carry out the program as originally intended now that the established deadlines have passed. The Trump administration has the right to appeal the ruling at the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Filing an appeal would not automatically nullify the court ruling as a separate court decision will be required for that. The case could eventually be taken to the US Supreme Court, the expert noted. "And the US Supreme Court is highly likely to rule in Trump’s favor as the majority of judges there are conservative. At the same time, it cannot be assumed that the administration can simply ignore the ruling as it was handed down by a court of first instance," the expert concluded. Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Archaic Russia-EU partnership agreement clashes with present-day antagonism The agreement on partnership and cooperation concluded between Russia and the European Union signed more than three decades ago makes little practical sense after Brussels openly declared Russia its opponent and adversary, said participants in a round table discussion at the Federation Council on Thursday. The EU has essentially transformed into an anti-Russian military bloc, Rossiyskaya Gazeta quoted Grigory Karasin, chairman of the upper chamber’s Committee on International Affairs, as saying. There have been statements from European politicians, including Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski or European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius, about preparations for war with Russia in 2029-2030. The matter is not limited to rhetoric only as Sweden and Finland have joined NATO, EU countries are sharply increasing their defense expenditure, military construction has been expedited, and exercises to simulate scenarios of a blockade of the Kaliningrad Region and Russia’s Baltic seaports are held near national borders. Karasin also pointed to the EU’s expansion plans at the expense of Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia. At that, the senator emphasized, Russia is not threatening European countries nor is it planning to do so, while the European people seem to agree, as evidenced by the rising popularity of opposition parties in Germany and France. The EU has undergone a major evolution, Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev argued. Originally a purely economic association, the EU is increasingly mulling militarization, including its own army. "Never before has there been a single international organization built on regional economic integration that set establishing an army as its goal. This is a first," Kosachev noted. "The idea of militarization has completely consumed the minds of European politicians, who have also embraced extreme Russophobic rhetoric," he added. Kosachev commented on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which was signed in 1994 and entered into force in 1997. He singled out Article 55 as the most objectionable part of the document which envisaged the unilateral harmonization of Russian laws with European ones. "Thank God, this article--along with all the other provisions of the agreement--has been frozen," he said. The agreement’s initial ten-year term expired in 2007 and it has been automatically renewed on an annual basis ever since until one of the parties provides written notice to the contrary. "It has lost any practical meaning. The EU has openly declared us its adversary and enemy, while the agreement envisages partnership and cooperation," Kosachev maintained. Vedomosti: Russia could step in to meet Africa's growing electricity needs African countries are facing electricity shortages even as they have enough oil and gas and capabilities to generate power from renewables. Key obstacles include a lack of capital and grid weaknesses. Russian technology could be in demand in the fields of nuclear-and natural gas-based power generation, hydropower and energy-related engineering, but prospects here depend on project economics and the specific needs of certain countries. Russian and African experts told Vedomosti which areas of partnership can yield a long-term effect and what has prevented a transformation from individual supplies to complex projects. Today, African countries need to supply electricity to a growing population, their industries, transport, and digital economy, Alexey Maslov, a professor and director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University, noted. While many of these countries possess gas, oil, and coal reserves, along with potential for hydropower, solar, and wind energy generation, the mere availability of such resources does not guarantee a stable supply, he argued. According to Nikita Panin, an expert at the analytical department at the HSE Centre for African Studies, countries with a developed industrial base need large-scale power generation. Meanwhile, the need for localized power generation is already reflected in projects currently under discussion between Russian companies and their African partners. There is no universal solution for the continent as the specifics of each country require an individual approach, he explained. As African partners view it, technology transfer should be accompanied with the development of local competences, Anna Abaho, a senior lecturer in international relations and security research at Nkumba University in Uganda, told Vedomosti. She linked Russian-Ugandan cooperation to industrial electrification, food production, irrigation and refrigeration of agricultural products. The country needs engineers and technical specialists capable of maintaining the equipment for that, she said. A transition to purer energy does not mean Africa will abandon traditional sources in the next few years. The continent is expanding access to electricity amid the rising demand from industries, transport, and cities. For this reason, a variety of technologies, ranging from gas and hydropower to solar generation, energy storage, and nuclear projects, will be needed in the energy mix, Maslov argued. TASS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews Press review: Ukraine, EU push peace away and US blacks out Kiev's missile sightTop stories from the Russian press on Thursday, October 15thRead moreThis year’s grain harvest to be laudable — PutinThe Russian president estimated the harvest at over 100 million tonsRead moreConfirmed Ebola cases in DRC exceed 8,700 — WHOThe fatality rate stands at around 48.2%Read moreUkraine to weaken after Russia destroys bridge across Oskol River — expertAndrey Marochko believes that logistics problems for the Ukrainian army after the destruction of the bridge will affect the course of the fighting near the strategically important KupyanskRead moreRiyadh airport suspends operations — air traffic control sourceThe Riyadh airport has suspended operations; no inbound or outbound flights are being serviced Read moreNo concrete result yet on prisoner swap between Russia and US — Russian diplomatEarlier, it was reported that the US president had supported the plan to swap Russian national Viktor Bout for American nationals Brittney Griner and Paul WhelanRead moreRosatom CEO says share of unfriendly countries’ projects in portfolio decliningThe absolute number of projects in unfriendly countries remains unchanged, Alexey Likhachev addedRead moreRussian forces destroy Ukrainian deployment sites with FAB-3000 air bombs at OrekhovRussian Aerospace Forces crews struck the targets at the moments of maximum concentration of Ukrainian personnelRead moreTrump says US demanded Zelensky halt strikes on Russian oil refineriesHe can't do that because we have a world problem, and the problem is caused by the lack of refineries for diesel fuel, US President saidRead moreRussia ready to supply oil to US, global markets — Putin after call with TrumpThe Russian and US presidents have discussed energy problems by phoneRead moreSouth Korean ambassador leaves Ukraine — news agencyOn October 8, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry announced that the government had decided to recall its ambassador to UkraineRead moreNorway’s Statoil does not slow down operations in Russia — Russian minister"Just recently, two wells were drilled in the Sea of Okhotsk. 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moreRussian new car market hit 396,000 units in Q3 2026 — ministryThe trend toward a gradual recovery of the auto market was managed to be strengthened in particular through the implementation of programs stimulating demand for Russia-made vehicles, the ministry notedRead moreDPR residents from areas under Ukrainian control to be rehoused in temporary accommodationA Telegram chatbot has been launched for those wishing to participate in the special resettlement programRead moreArabian coalition accuses Houthis of attacking airport in RiyadhSpokesperson Turki al-Maliki promised a decisive response to the aggressionRead moreTrump says Ukraine conflict will be settled soonThe US president also promised a soon resolution of the conflict in IranRead moreRussian forces strike Kiev data center used by Ukrainian army to store intelligenceRussian forces have struck a dry cargo ship involved in delivering military supplies to Odessa at sea Read moreOnly NATO, Kiev had motive to down flight MH17, 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China, Yury Ushakov saidRead morePress review: EU tightens Russia sanctions while Germany eyes return to Russian energyTop stories from the Russian press on Thursday, October 8thRead moreSeveral hundred applications received for DPR resettlement program — regional headKramatorsk, Slavyansk, Dobropillya and Druzhkovka are large cities, so government expect a significant number of applicationsRead moreIran is urging IAEA to resist manipulations of outside actors - Iran’s envoyAccording to him, Iran views this situation as a trap set by the US and Israel who were very active in trying to demolish the nuclear deal with Iran and also used all means possible to pressure the agencyRead morePutin-Trump call on Friday was their 6th this year — calculations by TASSThe conversation was their 16th since the US leader returned to office in early 2025Read moreAt least 12 people die, 309 injured in attack on Riyadh Airport — governmentThe attack caused material damage, the extent of which is currently being assessedRead moreRussia begins lifting diesel exports restrictions immediately — deputy PMAlexander Novak noted that Russia is one of the key suppliers of diesel fuel to the global marketRead moreShell falls near international airport in Saudi’s Dammam — coalitionSpokesman Turki al-Maliki provided no information about casualties and damageRead moreEstonian rogues drag EU into quagmire of confrontation — Russian Foreign MinistrySpokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on a statement by Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal that the EU "will throw all its resources into ensuring that Ukraine can turn Russian oil refineries into ruins"Read moreLavrov says talk about Normandy-format meeting during UNGA is not seriousRussian Foreign Minister also noted that Ukraine’s foreign ministry speaks about the plans of convening a Normandy-format summit to settle the problems of the implementation of the Minsk agreements, on the one hand, while the Ukrainian president’s office, on the 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conflict but chose not to do so — TrumpUS President thinks it's time for Ukraine to get a new presidentRead moreRwanda proud to use Russian military hardware, envoy saysJoseph Nzabamwita added that Rwanda has started selling lots of agriculture products in RussiaRead moreChina successfully launches 27th batch of SatNet communications satellitesThe launch took place aboard a Long March-12 carrier rocket from the commercial launch site at the Wenchang Space Launch SiteRead moreRiyadh airport to remain closed until midnight — air traffic control serviceThe information had been communicated to all relevant airspace usersRead moreNATO says it has no plans to blockade KaliningradThe alliance is not seeking a confrontation but has sufficient arsenals and military power to provide effective deterrence and respond swiftly in the event of aggressionRead morePeople’s lives constitute top priority of DPR resettlement program — regional headPeople will be provided with instructions on how to leave areas of hostilitiesRead moreRussia ready to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to world market this month — senior officialAlexander Novak added that Russian diesel exports could increase to 500,000 metric tons in NovemberRead moreDPR compiling data on property in Ukrainian-controlled cities to protect owners’ rightsProperty may be damaged or destroyed during hostilitiesRead moreOil supertanker hits mine in Strait of Hormuz — IRGCAccording to the Iranian military, the tanker struck a mine and exploded after turning off its positioning and navigation systemsRead moreNetanyahu claims Hamas plots attack on Israel ahead of electionsThe Israeli PM said that over the past years Israel had become "the strongest country in the Middle East," while its enemies were currently "weaker than ever"Read moreRussia ‘takes gloves off’ as Kiev tries to intimidate Russians with drone attacks — RitterAccording to him, Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure facilities were provoked by Ukraine itself, 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Zvinchuk and his associates’ arrival and had been monitoring their movements for several daysRead moreNumber of Germans who change their minds about refusing military service growsA representative of the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society told the RND editorial association that this occurred amid the conflict in Ukraine and changes in the security situationRead moreEurope sponsors continuation of Ukraine conflict, not peace — Russian envoyAccording to Vasily Nebenzya, people in Europe "are beginning to understand that their leaders are preparing them for a full-scale war with Russia, as early as 2030"Read moreRussia's media watchdog urges news outlets to verify reports from Irkutsk RegionThe media watchdog highlighted that false information about the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk Region, in southeastern Russia, had been circulating in recent daysRead moreUS negotiators Witkoff, Kushner may visit Moscow in next two weeks — sourceThere is indeed such a possibility, a source saidRead moreRussia calling on Israel to stop airstrikes on Syria — envoyAlexander Lavrentiev expressed regret that Israel still is not listening to Russia's opinion on this matterRead moreUkrainian army kills civilians while retreating, using them as human shields — DPR headOn October 7, the DPR Defense Headquarters called on residents of cities under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces to evacuate to the republicRead moreTochka-U missiles not in service in Russian Armed Forces — mission to UNGiven the proven record of the Kiev regime promoting false allegations and fake evidence, it should be noted that Tochka-U tactical missiles are not in service in the Russian Armed Forces, the letter saysRead moreNo response from US to Russia’s proposal to extend New START — senior Russian MPKonstantin Kosachev emphasized that Russia has once again demonstrated its special responsibility as a nuclear power and a permanent member of the UN Security Council in matters of strategic stability and global securityRead moreRussian air defenses down 725 drones, Ukrainian losses total about 1,455 troopsUkrainian units trapped in an encirclement in the Kharkov Region lost up to 45 servicemen over the past dayRead more