According to the Financial Times, the US has proposed that European countries unfreeze some Russian sovereign assets and deposit them in a special-purpose vehicle controlled by Washington, a plan presented by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at a Miami meeting on Oct. 10 to build momentum toward a broader Ukraine peace deal. Moscow has rejected temporary proposals such as the 60-day pause offered by Zelensky and wants a lasting political settlement, while European officials, including Germany's Merz, have pushed back that frozen assets should remain frozen in Europe. At least €260 billion in Russian central bank assets have been frozen since 2022, most of it at Euroclear in Belgium. The article also argues that Russia and Iran, bound by a 20-year strategic treaty signed in 2025, are helping each other against US interests, and cites a Reuters report that two Iranian officials linked Iran's shipping attacks to the US elections on Nov. 3.
Summary written by Upside AI from the original article. Read the source for full details.
Read the original on zerohedge.com ↗
Related news
- Trump Admin Floats Unfreezing Russian Assets In Big Move To Restart Talks
According to the Financial Times, the US has proposed that European countries unfreeze some of Russia's sovereign assets and deposit them in a vehicle controlled by Washington. The plan was presented by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at a Miami meeting on Oct. 10, and European officials reportedly rejected it, with Merz saying the assets should remain frozen in Europe. At least €260 billion in Russian central bank sovereign assets have been frozen since 2022, over €210 billion of it in the EU, mostly at the Belgian depository Euroclear. The article asks whether information about Russia's support for Iran, including drones and intelligence, is being withheld from the US president, noting that Trump said on October 13 he did not believe Russia was helping Iran.
- Trump Envoys Push Russian Gas Transit in Ukraine Peace Talks
According to The New York Times, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner urged Ukraine and European allies to consider resuming Russian gas transit through Ukrainian pipelines as an economic element of a peace settlement. The idea faces firm opposition in Europe, especially Germany, where officials argue that reliance on Russian hydrocarbons undermines energy security. Washington argues that restored flows would give the Kremlin a commercial incentive to halt military operations and bring transit revenue for Ukraine's reconstruction, and some officials suggest the US could seek a share of the proceeds. The White House confirmed its proposals include economic incentives for both sides and denied actively discussing a revival of Nord Stream 2, though one source called restarting intact segments the “simplest step”. In Germany, the AfD, polling near 30 percent, has campaigned for cheap Russian gas imports, while European officials warn restored flows would undermine sanctions and generate billions for Moscow's defense industry.
- German chancellor rejects U.S. control of Russian assets frozen in EU - Xinhua
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday rejected putting Russian assets frozen in the European Union under U.S. control, saying the decision should stay with Europe and the assets should remain frozen there. His remarks, made ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, responded to media reports that the United States had proposed unfreezing some of these assets and placing them under a mechanism overseen by Washington. About 210 billion euros (about 235 billion U.S. dollars) in Russian central bank assets are currently immobilized in the EU.
- Battle over 260 billion euro Russian assets as Merz rejects US plan
The US reportedly proposed that Europe release part of the roughly 260 billion euros in frozen Russian assets and move them into a financing vehicle overseen by Washington, as part of efforts to restart Ukraine peace talks. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected the idea, saying the assets must remain frozen in Europe and that Europeans must decide their fate. European officials opposed giving up control or returning any portion to Moscow, and releasing the assets would require the consensus of all 27 EU member states, which is considered unlikely. The West froze the assets in 2022, and a 45 billion euro G7 loan to Ukraine is backed by interest generated from them. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow will pursue legal action to recover the assets.
- Marjorie Taylor Greene says Trump admin pretending to prepare to deport Rep . Ilhan Omar
Former Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X that the Trump administration is 'pretending' to prepare to deport Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, arguing that officials should instead focus on gas prices, health insurance, grocery bills and foreign wars. The Justice Department confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant at Omar's Washington, D.C. residence as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Omar, a naturalized U.S. citizen, denied wrongdoing, called the search politically motivated and said 'I will not be silenced.' According to The Wall Street Journal, anonymous officials said the investigation aims to strip Omar of her citizenship and deport her.
- Marjorie Taylor Greene says Trump admin pretending to prepare to deport Rep . Ilhan Omar
Former Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X that the Trump administration is 'pretending' to prepare to deport Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, arguing that such a move does nothing to address gas prices, health insurance, grocery bills or foreign wars amid inflation and the Iran war. The Justice Department confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant at Omar's Washington, D.C. residence as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Omar, a naturalized U.S. citizen, has denied wrongdoing and condemned the search as an attempt to target political enemies. According to anonymous officials cited by The Wall Street Journal, a goal of the investigation is to strip her citizenship and deport her.
Related markets
Latest news
- Winning over Vingroup and Sun Group with concrete and special materials: Vietnamese company's profit up 136%, chairman speaks out
Song Da Cao Cuong (SCL) reported Q3/2026 profit of VND 38 billion, up 136%, on net revenue of over VND 263 billion (up nearly 98%), while gross profit margin rose from about 36% to 41%. For the first nine months, revenue reached nearly VND 666 billion (up 81%) and after-tax profit nearly VND 94 billion, already exceeding more than 110% of its full-year profit target. Chairman Kieu Van Mat attributed the results to technology upgrades, production line optimization and capacity expansion, with several new plants expected to start operations by November 2026. The company said it spent more than two years testing its products before Vingroup accepted them; Vingroup's share of its business has fallen to about 25% as customers expanded to around 10 major groups and exports began to Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines. Over the past two years, the company has invested about VND 1,000 billion in factories and technology.
- Coteccons Chairman Bolat Duisenov reveals new direction: expanding home construction for individual customers
At the annual general meeting on October 20, Coteccons (HoSE: CTD) set fiscal 2027 targets of VND 42,000 billion in revenue and VND 1,050 billion in after-tax profit, and said it is considering expanding into residential construction for individual customers (B2C). In fiscal 2026, net revenue reached VND 34,340 billion (up 38%, 115% of plan) and after-tax profit VND 788 billion (up 73%); new contract wins totaled VND 60,307 billion and backlog was about VND 70,000 billion. In the first quarter of the new fiscal year, the company booked revenue of VND 11,270 billion and profit of VND 306 billion, but new contract value of VND 14,519 billion was lower than a year earlier; the company said it is tightening criteria for selecting clients and projects. Coteccons is also working with Microsoft, is expected to become a strategic partner of Workday, and targets raising its ROE from 10% to 15-18% by 2030.
- UPS Yields 6.7% After Firing Amazon. Here's Whether the Dividend Survives 2027.
UPS shares yield 6.7% as of October 16. The company has moved away from high-volume, low-margin Amazon deliveries and froze its dividend earlier this year, ending a 16-year streak of increases. The article says the payout will likely remain frozen through 2026 and 2027, citing competition from 10- and 30-year Treasury yields above 5% and other industrial dividend payers, but calls the dividend's safety questionable: UPS generated $5.47 billion in free cash flow in 2025, with $5.4 billion going to dividends, and free cash flow is projected to fall to $5.05 billion in 2026 and $5.01 billion in 2027, with the dividend absorbing about 98% of 2026 free cash flow. Rising competition and high fuel prices add pressure, and the article suggests investors may find more safety in the industrial sector.
- Asian shares mostly decline after AI stocks lead a rebound on Wall Street
Asian shares mostly fell in cautious trading on Tuesday after AI-related stocks rebounded on Wall Street, while other sectors stayed shaky and oil prices stayed high. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.6% to 64,512.35 in early trading, South Korea's Kospi dropped 2.8%, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.8%. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq gained 1.1%, helped by Nvidia's 1.4% gain, while most stocks outside AI and tech fell and the Dow slipped 0.1%. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 5.14%, and U.S. crude rose to $103.50 a barrel and Brent to $109.47, as uncertainty about when the energy industry will return to normal after the war with Iran means oil is unlikely to ease soon.
- Asian shares mostly decline after AI stocks lead a rebound on Wall Street
Asian shares mostly fell in cautious trading Tuesday after AI-related stocks rebounded on Wall Street, while other sectors stayed shaky and oil prices remained high. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.6% to 64,512.35, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.8% to 8,772.10, and South Korea's Kospi dropped 2.8% to 5,605.31. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq rallied 1.1%, helped by Nvidia, while the Dow fell 0.1%. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 5.14%, and U.S. crude rose 0.15% to $103.50 a barrel as uncertainty over the war with Iran kept oil prices elevated.
- What Could X-Energy (XE) Gain From Its 960MW Indiana Nuclear Project?
X-Energy (NasdaqGS:XE), American Electric Power and Amazon agreed to assess a 960 MW advanced nuclear project in Indiana using Xe-100 reactors, on a former coal plant site. Under the joint development agreement, Amazon would provide development funding and commit to a long-term power purchase. The article says the deal offers commercial validation for X-Energy's reactor platform rather than immediate financial relief, as the company, with a $4.3b market cap, reported $150.28 million in revenue, a $448.87 million loss, and a 20.2x price-to-sales ratio. The next key milestone is whether the study reaches a final investment decision for the Sullivan County site.
Get the briefing on Telegram or Zalo
Join the Upside Telegram channel or Zalo group for the Vietnam stocks and gold briefing at 8:00 and 19:00 (Vietnam time) on trading days, plus a weekly wrap on Saturday morning.