Russia claims drone shot down over Belgorod Oblast

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Aug. 19 that U.S. soldiers will not be on the ground in Ukraine to ensure security guarantees are upheld, deflecting the responsibility to European allies.

The European Union's 19th package of sanctions against Russia is expected to be ready in September, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas announced on Aug. 19, as the EU ramps up its pressure on Moscow in hopes that it will push Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

Russia has resumed grain shipments to Syria from within occupied Crimea, transporting stolen grain from Ukraine's occupied territories, reported Kateryna Yaresko, a journalist with the Ukrainian SeaKrime project that tracks Russia's illegal shipping activity.

NATO military leaders are scheduled to meet virtually on Aug. 20 to discuss the alliance's support for Ukraine as European leaders continue negotiations with Kyiv and Washington on security agreements for the embattled country.

The Kyiv Independent’s deputy chief editor, Toma Istomina, sits down with Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s former foreign minister, to discuss why the White House meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, and European leaders brought little progress in stopping Russia’s war.

Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities late on Aug. 17, mere hours before President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet for peace talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

In the Oval Office, Zelensky said Ukraine wants to end the war and welcomed Trump's signal of openness to trilateral negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We are ready for trilateral talks. As president said, it's a good signal about trilateral," Zelensky told reporters.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blocked or delayed military aid to Ukraine, maintained ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and echoed Kremlin narratives.

According to Russian authorities, the remains belong to Ukrainian servicemembers killed in action in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kursk regions.

The strikes hit warehouses in the village of Bilokurakyne, located on a key railway line supplying Russian forces on the Pokrovsk front, where Moscow is focusing its primary offensive efforts.