Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky urges Trump to back Kyiv as Kremlin says ‘let’s see’ if he helps end war

Egisto Ott, a former Austrian intelligence official, has appeared in court for allegedly violating official secrecy laws, the first charges in a high-profile case linked to Russian espionage.

Mr Ott, who was detained for two months earlier this year, faces accusations of passing sensitive information to Russian intelligence services and to Jan Marsalek, a fugitive entrepreneur with alleged ties to the Kremlin.

The trial has drawn significant attention, particularly given its connection to the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which emerged as the top party in Austria's September elections for the first time.

The G7, involving some of the world’s richest nations, have made clear that they believe the reports of thousands of North Korean troops being used to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine show Vladimir Putin’s “desperation” to compensate for losses on the frontline.

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Poland plans to invest 3 billion zlotys (£577 million) to boost ammunition production, according to a bill published late on Monday, aiming to ensure it has sufficient supplies in the event of an attack from Russia.

Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has become Nato’s biggest spender on defence in relation to the size of its economy, with the 2025 budget allocating 4.7 per cent of gross domestic product for the purpose.

“The draft act aims to create opportunities to provide financing for activities aimed at increasing the capacity for ammunition production,” the bill says, with a particular need to expand large-caliber production to bolster the potential of the Polish Armed Forces.

The government aims to adopt the bill during the fourth quarter, according to its website.

Some Nato officials have said the Kremlin might be ready militarily to attack Nato countries in five to eight years’ time, once it has rebuilt its forces after the war in Ukraine. Moscow has regularly dismissed Western suggestions that it might consider an attack on Nato.

In September Maciej Idzik, a board member of the state-owned Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), told Reuters that Warsaw aimed to ramp up its production of 155 mm artillery rounds.

The head of Australia‘s national intelligence agency said it was troubling to see an “emerging axis” of countries supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine emerge as allies of the Kremlin mounted a challenge for western countries supporting Kyiv.

Andrew Shearer, who leads the government’s Office of National Intelligence (ONI), said North Korea, Iran, and more significantly China, posed a “strategic challenge” for countries including Canberra as the war dragged on.

He said the emerging axis, which has China and Russia as its main pillars, had been underestimated since the war began as Beijing emboldened Moscow by providing dual-use goods as well as economic and diplomatic support.

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The Ukrainian President said: “Congratulations to Donald Trump on his impressive election victory!

“I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-US strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine.

“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the “peace through strength” approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together.

“We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States.

“We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations. Ukraine, as one of Europe’s strongest military powers, is committed to ensuring long-term peace and security in Europe and the Transatlantic community with the support of our allies.

“I am looking forward to personally congratulating President Trump and discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine’s strategic partnership with the United States.”

Russia has rejected claims that it was behind a series of hoax bomb threats targeting polling stations in the United States on election day, as well as reports suggesting a Russian plot to plant incendiary devices on planes.

Moscow dismissed the accusations after the FBI revealed that multiple bomb threats had been made on Tuesday against voting locations in key battleground states, including Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

Many of these threats appeared to originate from email domains linked to Russia, raising suspicions of foreign interference, though no bombs were found at the sites.

In addition to the bomb hoaxes, US security officials indicated that parcels which exploded at logistics depots in Europe were allegedly part of a test for a potential Russian plot to place incendiary devices on cargo flights to the US.

Authorities suggested that these incidents could be a precursor to more serious attacks aimed at disrupting US-bound cargo traffic.

However, Russia categorically denied any involvement in these activities, calling the reports unfounded.

The Kremlin has said that the United States remains an “unfriendly” country towards Russia.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that there are no plans for President Vladimir Putin to congratulate Donald Trump on any potential election victory.

Mr Peskov’s comments came as he discussed Moscow’s cautious approach to the changing political landscape in the US, noting that Russia is closely monitoring the statements made by American politicians.

“Our relations with the United States are at a historic low,” he told reporters. “It is practically impossible for them to get any worse.”

The spokesperson acknowledged that the US has the capacity to change its foreign policy approach, but he added that Moscow would wait until January, when Trump is set to take office, to see if there would be any shift in direction.

Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, has ratified a military agreement with North Korea that promises mutual assistance in the event of an attack.

The treaty, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang in June, states that both countries would provide military support "by all means" if either is attacked.

The deal marks the most significant military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang since the Cold War.

The treaty had already been ratified by the lower house, the State Duma, on 24 October.

This comes amid growing concerns over North Korean involvement in Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine.

On Monday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed reports that up to 10,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region.

These troops are reportedly preparing to join Russian forces in Ukraine, marking the first large-scale deployment of North Korean forces in a foreign conflict since the Korean War in 1950.