Trump tells Ukraine: Accept Putin’s demands ‘or be destroyed’

Day 1,335.


Today, as the world digests the outcome of the White House
meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky,
we examine why the lack of progress on Tomahawk missiles caught
many observers off guard. We also explore the significance – if
any – of Trump’s planned talks with Vladimir Putin in Budapest,
widely seen as part of the Kremlin’s strategy to stall for time.
Plus, we report on another slow weekend at the front, continued
Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities, and hear
from a leading professor on what it would take to achieve a
genuine breakthrough in peace negotiations.


Contributors:


Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls
on X.


Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley
on X.


With thanks to Professor Robert Person (Non-Resident Senior
Fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute's
Eurasia Program). @RTPerson3 on X.


MORE TICKETS JUST RELEASED FOR 'UKRAINE: THE LATEST'
LIVE, IN-PERSON:


Join us for an in-person discussion and Q&A at the
distinguished Honourable Artillery Company in London on 22nd
October starting at 7pm.


Our panel includes General Sir Richard Barrons, former head of UK
Joint Forces Command and latterly one of the authors of Britain’s
Strategic Defence Review, and Orysia Lutsevych, head of the
Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank. Tickets are open
to everybody and can be purchased at:
https://www.squadup.com/events/ukrainelive


CONTENT REFERENCED:


Zelensky offers Trump drones for Tomahawks (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/10/17/zelenksy-meets-trump-white-house-live-updates/ 


Trump envoy pushes Ukraine to surrender Donetsk to Russia (The
Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/19/trump-envoy-pushes-ukraine-donetsk-russia-war-peace-witkoff/ 


Pete Hegseth’s tie causes diplomatic spat (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/10/19/pete-hegseth-tie-causes-diplomatic-spat/ 


Trump tells Ukraine: Accept Putin’s demands ‘or be destroyed’
(The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/19/trump-tells-ukraine-accept-putin-demands-or-be-destroyed/ 


Ukraine’s most prestigious military units are run like
businesses: (The Economist):
https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/10/14/ukraines-most-prestigious-military-units-are-run-like-businesses?utm_campaign=shared_article 


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