MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. US leader Donald Trump describes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to extend New START as a good idea, and Hamas tentatively agrees to the US peace plan for Gaza. Meanwhile, Kiev is set to ramp up the use of drones. These stories topped Monday's newspaper headlines in Russia.

 

Izvestia: Can Russia, US avoid a nuclear race

Restoring the original Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between Russia and the United States will be unfeasible, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. Even though Moscow sought to preserve the pact, it had to drop the moratorium amid US moves. Another treaty, New START, still has some potential. US leader Donald Trump has called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to extend it a "good idea." However, the United States’ European allies have been actively building up their own long-range missiles, so the European Union should also be invited to the dialogue, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin told Izvestia.

Meanwhile, the United States is weighing supplying Ukraine with its Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are classified as intermediate-range weapons. Putin has cautioned that such a move would undermine the emerging positive trend in relations between Russia and the United States. Russian officials say the deployment of these weapons by Ukrainian troops will not significantly alter the situation on the battlefield.

Sooner or later, a new framework of control over intermediate-range attack weapons will have to be created. While including only ground-based systems would be a reasonable first stage, aerial and seaborne missiles also need to be considered, researcher at the Center for International Security at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations Dmitry Stefanovich told Izvestia. "The appearance of ground-based long-range systems will become an additional factor of strategic risk for Russia, but we are also developing relevant systems," the expert said. According to him, there is always a danger of the situation sliding into an arms race or inadvertent escalation.

However, turbulent political developments relating to efforts to adopt a temporary draft budget are currently underway in the United States, a matter that absorbs the attention of nearly all federal agencies and lawmakers, which may explain why the US side has not yet produced a detailed response to the Russian initiative. "I think Washington will react before the end of the year, as Trump’s administration will eventually return to work on the Russian dossier," Ivan Loshkaryov, associate professor with the Department of Political Theory at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, said.

Still, the political expert doubts there will be a favorable response, as Trump’s supporters view strategic stability agreements as an additional constraint on US foreign policy. Trump may even suggest "trading" the New START Treaty for other deals with Russia. Russia and the United States currently lack a strategic dialogue, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.
 

Vedomosti: Hamas agrees to parts of US peace plan

Israel expects that Hamas will release all remaining Israeli hostages in the coming days as part of the first phase of the Gaza peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message late on October 4, a day after the radical Palestinian movement accepted certain elements of the latest US initiative.

The Israeli prime minister said he had ordered his negotiators to head to Cairo later on Monday for talks over technical issues with Hamas representatives. He noted that once the hostages are freed, the Israeli military will move to new positions that will allow them to maintain control over Gaza.

Netanyahu’s comments came as Trump expressed gratitude to the Israeli leader on his Truth Social media platform for halting the bombing of Gaza and providing a chance "for a lasting peace" and ensuring the hostages’ release "safely and quickly."

Hamas has only provisionally accepted Trump’s plan, and its implementation will depend on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, expert Ruslan Suleimanov told Vedomosti. The Palestinian movement had to partially comply with the US proposals amid mounting pressure from wealthy Arab states, the orientalist noted. "The Islamists are not yet ready to disarm, since apart from Hamas, other radical factions are also fighting in the enclave. I believe the hostage exchange will drag on indefinitely, as the process requires well-coordinated logistics," he added.

For its part, Israel is prepared to pause its Gaza operation, as the US plan does not require a complete cessation of hostilities until all hostages are returned, said research fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations Lyudmila Samarskaya. At the same time, the expert added, Israel will find it difficult to dismiss the initiative since it originated from the White House.

The idea of achieving a durable accord remains unclear, as many differences persist between the two sides, and accepting the plan in its current form would amount to acknowledging defeat for Hamas, Samarskaya pointed out. Moreover, it would be challenging to ensure the execution of even the initial phase of the plan, with later stages — including disarming militants and demilitarizing Gaza — raising numerous practical obstacles, despite Israel’s optimism, she concluded.

 

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Ukraine preparing to intensify use of drones

In the wake of a large-scale Russian strike on Ukraine on Saturday night, Vladimir Zelensky called for "a unilateral ceasefire in the sky," which he said could pave the way for "real diplomacy." However, Kiev’s conciliatory stance may be merely tactical, as a plan released the day before by the Ukrainian armed forces revealed intentions to expand drone units, including long-range drone operators, almost twofold. There are also objectives to raise the share of drone troops to between 2% and 5% of the Ukrainian army.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing participants of the Valdai Discussion Club’s plenary session, said that Russia is ready for a reciprocal response to attacks on its power lines and nuclear facilities. Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that Russian forces carried out a "massive strike on Ukraine’s military-industrial enterprises and on gas and energy infrastructure facilities that support their operation" on Saturday night.

Observers note that the latest strike on Ukraine was among the most powerful and efficient by the Russian Army. Kiev’s estimates indicate that Russia deployed more than 540 weapons, including 42 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles, nine Kalibr missiles, two Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, six glide bombs, and nearly 500 Geran-2-type drones in the assault.

Zelensky appears to have received this information before calling for a ceasefire on aerial attacks. His statement may imply that Kiev is banking on the start of negotiations. He again urged the United States and Europe to step up pressure on Russia, emphasizing that Kiev will require "more protection and faster implementation of all defense agreements." Recently, Zelensky also issued threats of long-range strikes on Russia and its capital. He may have adjusted his tone due to delays in US deliberations on missile supplies, difficulties faced by his troops on the front line, and the impact of Russian attacks on Ukrainian strategic targets. "However, there should be no illusions, as looking to Europe and the United States, Zelensky is eager for victory and seeks further strikes on Russia to secure military gains," military expert Yury Netkachev told Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

"But there should be no illusions — Zelensky, looking toward Europe and the United States, seeks victory and further strikes on Russia to secure gains on the battlefield," said military expert and retired Lieutenant General Yury Netkachev.

"The Russian Army has been successfully advancing on the front lines, having overcome Ukrainian air defenses and conducting effective strikes with missiles and UAVs," Lieutenant General (Ret.) Netkachev said. "The massive strike delivered by the Russian Armed Forces on the night of October 4-5 proves this. Ukraine is losing its combat capabilities," he concluded.

 

Kommersant: Georgian opposition fails to fulfill pledge to topple government

The Georgian Dream party secured a decisive victory in Saturday’s local election, which took place amid low voter turnout. The Georgian opposition had vowed to bring crowds into the streets to topple the "pro-Russian regime."

The organizers of a large-scale rally on Freedom Square in central Tbilisi — the site of the 2003 Rose Revolution — urged demonstrators to march toward the presidential palace after delivering fiery anti-government speeches. Former President Mikheil Saakashvili, currently serving a lengthy prison term for abuse of power, had called on his supporters a day earlier to rally and "end the Russian occupation" of Georgia.

The protesters forced their way into the palace grounds intending to seize it, but the authorities were ready — special forces swiftly surrounded them, leading to a series of arrests.

"Disagreements within the opposition over participation in the municipal election became another reason why the street protests collapsed on October 4," David Avalishvili, an analyst at the Nation.ge website, told Kommersant. He added that while opposition activists label the Georgian government as "pro-Russian," they have still failed to "form a united front or agree on the strategy and tactics of their struggle" against Georgian Dream.

Paata Zakareishvili, the opposition’s candidate for mayor of Kutaisi, also acknowledged the divisions within the opposition camp.

The founder and honorary chairman of the ruling party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, pointed to Western involvement in the election after his party’s victory. According to him, "many countries envy Georgia, which has eliminated the agents who held power between the Rose Revolution and the Georgian Dream’s 2012 parliamentary triumph."

 

Kommersant: OPEC+ countries agree to boost oil output from November

OPEC+ decided to raise oil output by 137,000 bpd at a meeting on Sunday as they chose to maintain the plan toward restoring 1.65 million barrels per day. Sources say while Russia insisted on a cautious increase in production quotas, Saudi Arabia was ready for a more robust increase in oil output. Analysts note that even as additional barrels will heighten competition in Asian markets, they will not significantly affect oil prices.

The decision of the eight oil producers to continue pumping more barrels was not surprising, with the scale of the increase being the main intrigue, the Price Index Center added.

Analysts predict OPEC+ may start raising oil output in the coming months, which may influence oil prices, which have dropped from $70 to $65 per barrel since late September.

The latest move will introduce more Middle Eastern barrels to the market, intensifying competition, primarily in the Indian market, the Price Index Center noted.

Kirill Bakhtin, a senior analyst at BCS, believes the decision will not trigger any sharp price fluctuations, while Kirill Rodionov, an energy expert, suggests that any further increase in production quotas will depend on negotiations between the Saudis, who have a production capacity surplus of over 2 million barrels per day, and Russia, which will struggle more than Middle Eastern producers to increase oil output. Bakhtin expects the oil group to agree to a similar increase of 137,000 bpd in December as well.

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