The US has proposed a meeting between the national security advisors (NSA) of Ukraine, the US, and Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, expressing cautious optimism about the prospects for such a meeting.
“As for Umerov (Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, who is in the US, where he held talks with American and European partners on ending the war), he called me and said that America is now proposing a trilateral meeting of the NSA – America, Ukraine, Russia,” Zelensky said in comments to reporters on Saturday.
The president noted that he is not sure that this meeting will bring anything new, but pointed out that a similar meeting in Turkey resulted in the return of captured military personnel and civilians, so it is worth holding such meetings.
“I believe that this is not everything we wanted, but it is very important. I am very glad that we had exchanges. Our people, our military personnel, especially prisoners, have returned home. And civilians too. And that is why such steps must be taken. And if there can now be a meeting that will unblock the exchanges, or if the result of the trilateral NSA meeting could be an agreement on a trilateral meeting of leaders, and I have said this many times, there are complex issues that must be resolved by the leaders of the states. Therefore, if the results are exchanges or some other agreements, I cannot be against it, we will then support the proposal of the United States of America. Let’s see how it goes,” Zelensky said.
The business community, united by the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (the Chamber), calls on international partners to immediately increase air and sea defense over Ukraine, particularly the Odesa region and critical Black Sea port infrastructure.
Russia continues to destroy and humiliate American businesses in Ukraine. Russia’s recent missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine and the Odesa region
The current situation poses a direct risk of disrupting global food and commodity supply chains, with far-reaching consequences for international markets and food security, including higher food prices and worsening hunger in vulnerable countries.
While it is difficult to estimate the real-time losses of grain and oilseed exporters, they are currently estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars per month. Without substantial strengthening of air and maritime defense systems, both Ukrainian and international businesses will face critical operational challenges, including the inability to charter vessels and obtain insurance coverage for vessels, crews, and cargo.
The Chamber calls on international partners to urgently strengthen Ukraine’s air and maritime defense in order to save civilian lives, ensure the security of critical infrastructure, ports, and the continuity of global trade and food supply chains.
https://interfax.com.ua/news/press-release/1129438.html
AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BLACK SEA, PORT INFRASTRUCTURE, UKRAINE
Construction, with a rate of 31.5%, made the largest contribution to Ukraine’s GDP growth in the third quarter of 2025, which, according to preliminary data, amounted to 2.1%, the State Statistics Service reported on Thursday.
According to its estimates of GDP using the production method, growth in public administration was 15.1%, in the supply of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning – 6.7%, in wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles – 2.6%, and in education – 2.2%.
In calculating GDP using the final use (or expenditure) method, which shows where resources in the economy were directed—to consumption, investment, or public services, the main growth in GDP in the third quarter of 2025 was driven by general government expenditure (12.2%) and gross fixed capital formation (or, more simply, investment) (11.5%).
In addition, final household consumption expenditure grew by 6.7%, according to the State Statistics Service.
“In the third quarter, there were significant shifts in the structure: public finances, investment in fixed capital, and household consumption expenditure strengthened noticeably. In terms of production, the main drivers were construction, the public administration sector, energy, trade, and education. It was these sectors that shaped the positive dynamics of the quarter,” said Igor Gonchar, deputy chairman of the State Statistics Service.
The day before, the State Statistics Service reported that Ukraine’s real GDP in the third quarter of 2025 grew by 2.1% compared to the third quarter of 2024, while in the second quarter of this year the same indicator was 0.8%, and in the first quarter – 0.9%.
As reported, at the end of October, the National Bank also estimated Ukraine’s real GDP growth in the third quarter of 2025 at 2.1% compared to the same period last year, while earlier it had forecast it at 2.4%.
According to the updated forecast, the estimate of real GDP growth in the fourth quarter of this year has been revised down to 3.4% from 3.5% in July.
Overall, the National Bank has lowered its GDP growth forecast for 2025 to 1.9% from 2.1% due to energy shortages, the destruction of gas production facilities, and labor shortages, and for 2026 from 2.3% to 2%. The inflation forecast for this year has been improved from 9.7% to 9.2%, while the forecast for next year has been kept at 6.6%.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed optimism about the prospects for peace in Ukraine after talks with Vladimir Putin in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Turkey’s Anadolu news agency reported.
Erdogan told reporters on the side of the plane that Ankara also hoped to talk to U.S. President Donald Trump to assess a potential peace plan.
“After this meeting with Putin, we hope to be able to also discuss the peace plan with US President Trump. Peace is around the corner; we see it,” Erdogan said, referring to his bilateral meeting with Putin in Turkmenistan on Saturday.
Speaking about regional security, Erdogan warned against turning the Black Sea into a confrontation zone. “The Black Sea should not be seen as an arena of rivalry. It will not benefit Russia or Ukraine. Everyone needs freedom of navigation and security in the Black Sea,” he said.
Belgium is demanding “independent” and “autonomous” guarantees from EU countries in exchange for its support for a loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets, Euractiv reports.
The documents, which are currently being discussed by EU ambassadors, come amid frantic efforts by the bloc to persuade Belgium to back the so-called reparations loan ahead of a crucial European Council summit in Brussels next week.
Euroclear, a securities depository headquartered in Brussels, holds the vast majority of the EUR210 billion in frozen assets that will be used to support Kyiv’s military efforts, making Belgium a key player in the EU negotiations.
In a series of amendments to the Commission’s legal proposal, which was first circulated to EU ambassadors last week, Belgium notes that the guarantees must be “independent and autonomous so that they remain in force even if the loan is declared invalid.”
Other key Belgian demands include: other EU states covering potential legal costs that Moscow may claim from any member state; EU capitals refraining from concluding new investment agreements with Russia and cancelling all existing agreements; and a number of other measures to protect Belgium from potential reprisals by Moscow.
Luxembourg and Belgium signed a bilateral investment agreement with the then USSR in 1989, which has not been revoked to date.
In addition, it requires that Euroclear itself “not be liable” for providing the reparations loan, and that its “directors be liable only in cases of gross negligence.”
The Russian Central Bank announced that it would file a lawsuit against Euroclear in a Moscow court on Friday.
Belgium has repeatedly criticized the Commission for continuing with the loan program and has called on other EU countries to support the issuance of joint debt obligations instead. However, the latter option is currently being blocked by Hungary, which is also strongly opposed to the loan program.
The Ukrainian agricultural sector is faced with the need to implement EU standards, which could cost the industry up to €2.5 billion annually, but at the same time opens up strategic opportunities for integration and strengthening Ukraine’s role in global food security, said Andriy Dykun, chairman of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council (AUC).
“Calculations show that the introduction of European eco-standards will cost the Ukrainian agricultural sector approximately €2.5 billion per year, which amounts to €70-150 in additional costs per hectare. We must incorporate these standards into our legislation. And at the same time, no one is even talking about giving Ukraine subsidies,“ the association’s press service quoted him as saying at the conference ”Agribusiness in Ukraine.”
He added that environmental standards are currently under pressure in Europe itself.
“It is important to understand that these standards are not yet a certainty in the EU itself. European farmers are also under a lot of pressure, and their green course is constantly changing,” Dykun noted.
After unification, Ukraine and Europe together will be the largest food producer in the world.
“We are the only country that will join the EU with agriculture better than in any other EU country — we are coming in with a high level. But we must unite with Europe not with an “outstretched hand,” but as an equal partner, which together with the EU will become the world’s largest food producer. This needs to be worked out professionally,” the VAS chairman concluded.
