NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, said the alliance would fight if it were attacked, speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, October 12, 2026, according to RaiNews. His remarks were reported by several Italian outlets, including ANSA, la Repubblica, Adnkronos and AGI.
The commander's message, as carried by those outlets, was that NATO does not seek war but is prepared to respond if someone attacks it. RaiNews quoted him saying that if anyone were "so crazy" as to attack the alliance, "we will fight."
In a separate interview with the American broadcaster Fox News the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected suggestions that Ukraine bears responsibility for the energy crisis, RaiNews reported. According to RaiNews, Zelensky said the price of diesel does not depend on Ukrainian strikes on Russia's energy sector but on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters
The two statements land at a moment when European governments are weighing how far to go in confronting Russia and how long to keep funding Kyiv.
Grynkewich's comments put the alliance's readiness on the record from its top military post in Europe. Zelensky's remarks push back on an argument that has circulated in the United States — that Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure are feeding fuel prices. By pointing to Hormuz instead, Zelensky is trying to move the blame away from his own military campaign, at a time when the Trump administration has been pressing him on elections and on the cost of the war.
The same day, European Union foreign ministers signalled movement on several fronts related to Ukraine, from membership talks to restrictions on Russian travellers.
Austria defends arrest of Ukrainian journalists
Austria's interior minister, Gerhard Karner, defended the police handling of the temporary detention in Vienna of Ukrainian investigative journalist Mychajlo Tkatsch and his cameraman Jaroslaw Bondarenko, RaiNews reported.
Speaking to the midday news on the public radio station O1, Karner, of the Austrian People's Party (OVP), said arrests are never simple situations but that he had no reason to doubt the police had acted proportionately. He said the Vienna prosecutor's office is still investigating four people, including the two journalists. Two other Ukrainian citizens, detained early the previous week on suspicion of clandestine intelligence activity against Austria, remain in pre-trial custody in Vienna.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian embassy told the APA news agency that the diplomatic mission had formally contacted the relevant Austrian authorities and was waiting for a reply. The European Journalists Association asked the authorities to clarify the legal and factual basis for the operation, the use of force against the journalists and how they were treated in detention.
Christian Hafenecker, general secretary of Austria's Freedom Party (FPOE), asked Karner to clarify whether the arrests followed information from Kyiv. According to Hafenecker, the journalists were looking into an alleged corruption case inside Ukraine's power structure. He also urged Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger to summon the Ukrainian ambassador.
EU opens new accession clusters and weighs entry ban on Russian fighters
European Council President Antonio Costa welcomed the decision by EU member states to open two more negotiation clusters with Ukraine and Moldova, writing on social media that he looked forward to the opening of all remaining clusters as soon as possible. He also welcomed the closure of three further negotiating chapters with Montenegro and one with Albania, saying EU enlargement keeps advancing on the back of reforms in candidate countries and strong EU commitment.
On the same day, the 27 EU member states backed a ban on entry into the Union for former Russian fighters in Ukraine, though the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said some technical details still had to be settled before the measure takes effect. "There is political agreement. We just have to define the technical aspects," Kallas said after a meeting of the 27 foreign ministers. The EU has been considering the ban for months but has run into questions about how to apply it. Support among the 27 has grown as fears have increased over what Western officials describe as hybrid attacks, sabotage and interference conducted by Moscow in Europe.
Discussions are also under way on limiting the movement of Russian diplomats and tightening the criteria for issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens. "An important element is reducing security risks inside our borders," Kallas said. France had until now been reluctant to ban entry for Russian tourists but is now showing a "spirit of openness," according to a diplomat in Brussels.
Farage calls Ukraine one of the most corrupt countries
Nigel Farage, leader of Britain's Reform UK party, said Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, RaiNews reported. Speaking at a press conference, Farage said he was very concerned about where some British funds end up and pointed to corruption allegations that have shaken Zelensky's administration, suggesting elections might at some point be needed in the country.
Farage also said Kyiv should continue to be supported, adding that the situation must be watched closely so that corrupt officials do not take money from British taxpayers.
On October 11, US President Donald Trump said Zelensky should hold elections in Ukraine and accused him of creating problems for the whole world. According to Trump, Ukraine needs a new leader capable of reaching an agreement with Russia. Zelensky has again ruled out holding elections, setting a complete ceasefire of at least 60 days as a condition. Only under that condition, he said, would he be willing to address the question of holding a vote.
What to watch
Whether the EU's entry ban on former Russian fighters moves from political agreement to implementation, and whether the Austrian investigation into the detained Ukrainian journalists produces charges or a formal explanation, are the next points to follow.
