Trump's envoy Witkoff meets Putin - News compact: The most important things briefly summarized

News compact: Trump's envoy meets Putin October 21, 2026 The US envoy Steve Witkoff will meet the Russian President Vladimir Putin this Wednesday following "constructive" talks with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to pave the way for peace negotiations. According to a US government official, Ukraine presented new proposals during the meeting in Oslo on Tuesday, which also included the heads of state of Norway and Finland as well as representatives of the EU and NATO. These proposals included, among others, security guarantees and an economic plan for the post-war period. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has increased pressure on the government in Kyiv. Trump warned that Ukraine must agree to a peace agreement, or "things will get very bad." Relations between the US and Ukraine have recently deteriorated. EU presents Arctic strategy The EU Commission has presented its new Arctic strategy. The goal is to be better prepared for conflicts in the region. In the future, there will be a coordination body for the protection of undersea cables and the monitoring of the Russian shadow fleet and illegal fishing. Furthermore, more icebreakers and the expansion of civilian transport routes for military use are planned. Geographically, the northern parts of the EU countries Finland and Sweden are in the Arctic. Greenland is also strategically important. The largest island in the world belongs to Denmark as an autonomous territory, but it is not part of the European Union. When presenting the Arctic strategy in Strasbourg, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that sovereignty and territorial integrity can no longer be taken for granted in the region. Therefore, action must be taken. Merz signals momentum for Germany after summit Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz has drawn a positive balance after the investor summit in Berlin. The CDU politician said that investments amounting to around 230 billion euros have been pledged by the participating companies so far. Among these commitments are those from the US technology companies Nvidia and Microsoft, the energy supplier RWE, and the pharmaceutical company Sanofi. Merz stated that they are determined to give Germany a "boost." The investor conference is only the beginning. Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) said that something is happening. He would even say that Germany is "back." Around 200 international and German executives took part in the event in Berlin. The investor summit began on Monday evening in a closed power plant in the capital, and the venue on Tuesday was a private business school. Mongolian President praises relationship with Germany Germany and Mongolia want to further expand their relations. They agreed on this during a state visit by the Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh to the Federal Republic. Mongolia regards Germany as an "close, reliable partner and friend in Europe," said Khurelsukh after a meeting with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. To deepen cooperation, the country will open a consulate general in Frankfurt am Main. Steinmeier recalled at an exhibition opening in Berlin the importance of the Mongolian leader Chinggis Khan for the development of world history. The ruler who died around 800 years ago still inspires ideas and fantasies for many people worldwide, said the Federal President. The exhibition "Chinggis Khan and the World of the Mongols" will be shown in the James-Simon Gallery on Museum Island in Berlin. Nigeria confirms first Ebola case Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has reported an infection with the life-threatening Ebola virus. The patient recently arrived by plane from Uganda and was treated for several days in a private hospital in the Abuja area, the Ministry of Health of the West African country reported. Laboratory results have now shown that the woman is infected with the Ebola virus of the Bundibugyo tribe. According to the Ministry, she is in isolation and receiving medical care. The government called on all health facilities in the country to be in a state of highest alert. This is the first detected Ebola case in Nigeria since 2014. The current Ebola epidemic was officially declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-May. More than 9000 cases have been reported there, and more than 4380 people have died. UN report sees the world on a dangerous climate course According to the latest Emissions Gap Report of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the international community is "dangerously far" from achieving its climate goals. The previous national measures were not enough to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Emissions remain at record levels. Even if all states fully implement their current climate pledges, the Earth is expected to warm by 2.6 degrees compared to the pre-industrial era by 2100. At the current rate, an increase of 2.8 degrees is even expected. The report is published a few weeks before the World Climate Conference COP31 in the Turkish city of Antalya and is considered an important yardstick for global climate policy. UNEP investigates annually the gap between expected emissions and the level necessary to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement. as/gri/AR (dpa, afp, rtr, ap) This article was created at 9:00 AM (MESZ) and will not be further updated.