The International Monetary Fund released its report on Ukraine's wartime economy on 21 October, which indicates a severe contraction in GDP, down 35% from 2021, as well as rising inflation, severe disruptions to trade, and an unprecedented budget deficit. The IMF has also provided the Ukrainian authorities with financing amounting to about €1.3 billion under its Rapid Financing Facility (RFF).

The Commission announced on 20 October to provide an additional €175 million in humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable people in Ukraine and Moldova. The EU Rescue Strategic Reserve will be deployed for this purpose. EU Commissioner Janez Lenarčič visited Ukraine to help coordinate this operation.

On 19 October, the European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the Ukrainian people. The jury highlighted the efforts of citizens, initiatives of civil society representatives, its President and elected leaders in resisting Russian aggression.

On 20 October, MEPs adopted amendments to the legislative proposal on the non-recognition of travel documents issued by Russia in the regions it illegally occupies in Ukraine and Georgia. MEPs said that the Commission, after consulting Member States, should draw up a list of Russian travel documents that should no longer be accepted. They also insisted on ensuring access to asylum for those fleeing war.

Swiss President Ignazio Cassis visited Ukraine on 20 October to identify humanitarian needs and to discuss Swiss support, including reconstruction, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On 21 October, the Ukrainian President met with EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso to discuss financial support to Ukraine and the need to urgently allocate financial resources for a rapid recovery. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias visited Kyiv on 19 October.

At a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine on 21 October, two senior officials called for free passage for humanitarian teams. The scale of the humanitarian disaster is staggering," said UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Denise Brown, "with 40% of the Ukrainian population in need of humanitarian assistance. However, humanitarian support to Ukraine is the highest in the history of the UN. At the meeting, concern about the price of gas and electricity and the risk this poses to the Ukrainian population in the coming winter was highlighted. Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN's head of political affairs, welcomed the exchange of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners, and recalled the need to punish Russian crimes.

In response to Russia's allegations that Ukraine might use "a dirty bomb" on its own territory, France, the UK and the US jointly declared on 24 October that they rejected "any pretext for escalation on the part of Russia".

On 18 October, MEPs approved the introduction of new employment guidelines for Member States to protect the most vulnerable workers and ensure a fair green and digital transition.

MEPs adopted their position on the 2023 budget, opposing the Council's proposed €1.6 billion budget cuts. As a priority, they want to allocate an additional €853 million to deal with the consequences of the war in Ukraine. MEPs said they wanted to increase funding for energy independence with an additional €533 million. In addition to increased financial support for the Erasmus+, Horizon and Life programmes, they proposed increasing the EU4Health programme by €25 million to ensure the resilience of European health systems to pandemics. MEPs called for the cancellation of plans to renovate the Parliament building in Brussels.

In a debate with MEPs on 19 October, Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova affirmed the need for solidarity in the face of threats to European democracy, values and solidarity. She expressed her hope that Ukraine would one day become a member of the EU. She also mentioned the rise in energy prices. She also warned about the rise of extremism in Europe and called on MEPs to defend democracy and the rule of law.

On 19 October in Parliament, the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize 2022 was awarded to freelance journalists Clément Di Roma and Carol Valade for their documentary "Central African Republic: Russian soft power." The journalists documented the influence and abuses committed by the Russian mercenary group Wagner which protects the regime in exchange for mineral resources.

With regard to the Conference on the Future of Europe, the Ministers for European Affairs, meeting on 18 October, considered that up to 95% of the proposals drawn up could be implemented within the framework of the current treaties and did not, for the time being, follow up on the Parliament's requests for treaty revision. They also took stock of the rule of law in Poland in the context of the Article 7 procedure.

On 19 October, the Tripartite Social Summit brought together the heads of the institutions and the social partners to discuss measures to deal with the energy crisis, in particular those dedicated to the protection of companies and individuals.

The Council and the Parliament reached a provisional agreement on 19 October on the revision of the European Long Term Investment Fund (ELTIF) Regulation. This measure is part of the process of creating a single capital market, the aim of which is to ensure the circulation of investments and savings in all Member States.

On 21 October, Transport Ministers discussed energy prices and concrete measures to reduce energy consumption. They discussed the development of rail transport, the improvement of interconnections and the revision of the TEN-T network in the context of the war in Ukraine.

On 20 October, the Council added three Iranian individuals and one Iranian entity to the list of persons subject to restrictive measures because of their involvement in the development and delivery of drones used by Russia against Ukraine. The restrictive measures include an asset freeze and a ban on entry into and travel within the European Union.

The framework agreement between the European Union and Australia, which aims to strengthen cooperation in many areas, entered into force on 21 October.

The 13th annual human rights dialogue with Moldova was held on 19 October. The European Union highlighted positive developments in Moldova, such as the ratification of the Istanbul Convention on Combating Violence against Women, the adoption of hate crime legislation and the ongoing work to reform the electoral code. Nevertheless, transparency and media ownership rules as well as detention conditions need to be improved.

French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa announced on 20 October the creation of a green energy corridor between Barcelona and Marseille (BarMar) linking them to the EU energy network. The MidCat project, requested by Germany, has been abandoned. The three leaders agreed to implement new electricity interconnection projects linking France and Spain. They will meet again in Alicante on 9 December.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visited Washington on 20 and 21 October. She was hosted by her counterpart Anthony Blinken, with whom she discussed the war in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, and the Indo-Pacific.

Italy's new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met French President Emmanuel Macron on 23 October in Rome. Emmanuel Macron said he had a "frank and demanding" conversation with the head of the Italian government, whom he expected to judge "on her actions". He stressed the importance of Franco-Italian relations and cooperation at European level. Giorgia Meloni welcomed the convergence of views between France and Italy on the main European issues and said she wanted to work with the French "on an equal footing".

The city of Gdansk is hosting the Jantar Jazz Festival, one of the oldest jazz festivals in the country, until 13 November. It presents new trends in the world of jazz.

A large collection of works by the English artist J.M.W. Turner is on display at the National Gallery in Dublin until 6 February 2023. The main theme is the painter's fascination with the forces of nature, as well as the sun, moon and clouds.

Until 12 February 2023, the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf presents the exhibition "Mondrian: Evolution", showing the development of the work of the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian, from the landscapes and other figurative motifs of his first decade of career, to the iconic geometric compositions with black and white lines and coloured fields in red, yellow and blue.

Until 16 January 2023, the Centre Pompidou in Paris is devoting an exhibition to Alice Neel. Known for her paintings of marginalized people in American society, this committed feminist emancipated herself from the artistic trends of her time with her figurative painting. 75 paintings and drawings are presented.

Until 13 February 2023, the Mucem in Marseille is devoting an exhibition dedicated to friendship and collective creativity. 117 collaborative works are on display, from all types of art, ranging from the 19th to the 21st century. This exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Kunstmuseum of Wolfsburg.

The Centrocentro in Madrid is devoting an exhibition to Gaudí until 5 February 2023. More than 150 works are on display, including plans, drawings, models, furniture, architectural elements, ceramics and photographs.

The Fondation Beyeler in Switzerland is celebrating its 25th anniversary with an exhibition that will run until 8 January 2023. Around 100 works by 31 different artists, ranging from classical to contemporary art, will be on display in almost the entire museum. The American artist Duane Hanson is a special guest at this exhibition, with several of his sculptures on display.

In a resolution adopted on 20 October, MEPs call on the Commission to take measures to support cultural actors in the protection of cultural heritage in Ukraine and in reconstruction. They also recommend the adoption of a joint emergency response mechanism for cultural recovery in Europe to build partnerships to maintain a creative ecosystem.