Ukraine calendar: What will happen this week
Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter, The Week Ahead, covering events from August 25-31. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every week.
Next week, the main topic in Ukraine will continue to be the peace negotiations, though the prospects for a meeting between President Zelensky and President Putin, even with possible U.S. mediation, remain remote. Russia is currently showing no genuine readiness to engage, instead putting forward conditions unacceptable to Ukraine, such as proposing that a presidential meeting be held in Moscow.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected the possibility of deploying European troops in Ukraine under Trump-backed security guarantees.
U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he will know within two weeks whether there will be peace in Ukraine, and if not, he will “take a different tack.” Trump also emphasized the need for retaliatory strikes against the adversary rather than relying solely on defense – a position that directly contradicts his earlier statements.
Earlier the same day, Russia launched another large-scale attack on Ukraine, targeting primarily western regions. Among the sites hit was the Flextronics plant of the U.S. company Flex International in Mukachevo, Zakarpattia Oblast.
Learn more about the latest insights on the negotiation process, the possibility of Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donbas, and the strategy chosen by European leaders in the upcoming Weekly Report by KI Insights.
On Sunday, August 24, a ceremonial session of the Verkhovna Rada is expected to take place to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day. The agenda may include the ratification of the 100-year partnership agreement with the UK, which, contrary to expectations, was not brought to a vote during this week’s sessions. Foreign delegations have not been officially announced due to security risks, but based on previous years’ experience, their presence remains highly likely.
The informal meeting of EU defense and foreign affairs ministers (Gymnich) will take place on 28–30 August in Copenhagen. Among other issues, the agenda includes discussions on the new 19th sanctions package against Russia, currently being prepared by the European Commission. The package could be ready as early as September. The previous, 18th package, was agreed in July after Slovakia lifted its veto. It lowered the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $47.60 per barrel and targeted more than 100 vessels in Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” and their affiliates.
Ukraine to publish state and state-guaranteed debt data (as of end-July) on August 25. At the end of June, the figure stood at almost $185 bn, having increased by nearly $4 bn in a single month. On August 20, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a bill reallocating state budget funds with a focus on socially important sectors, including healthcare, education, support for veterans, and internally displaced persons. The reallocation was financed by reducing expenditures on public debt servicing (33.6 bn UAH or $8.09 bn) and by contributions from the Kyiv city budget (8 bn UAH or $190 mn).
The issuance of public debt is becoming a political topic as budget discussions for the next year begin this autumn. This is a sensitive matter for the Ukrainian authorities, traditionally used by opposition forces to challenge and discredit financial policies. According to IMF forecasts, by the end of the year, total public debt is expected to rise to 110% of GDP.
The situation on the front line will remain difficult, with Russia trying to intensify pressure in the directions of Pokrovsk, Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, and Novopavlivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. They may also consider advancing in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Kharkiv Oblast, where Russian positions are very close to the city of Kupiansk. The factors that allowed the breakthrough (a long front line and lack of manpower) have not been resolved. This week, Ukraine regained control of most of Tovste in Donetsk Oblast, although it is unclear how much Ukraine will be able to reclaim further in this direction.
On 28 August in Lviv, Tech Force in UA will hold the strategic forum “Joint Ventures, Joint Defence: How Europe and Ukraine Can Leverage Each Other’s Innovations.”
The forum offers a unique opportunity to receive a printed copy of the Ukrainian miltech catalog “Warcrafted: The Power Behind Ukrainian Defense Tech”, prepared by Tech Force in UA together with KI Insights. This event will bring together government officials, leading global defense companies, and technology innovators. Register here.
Events and Milestones:
Next week:
- 27 August, 18:00–19:30 Kyiv time (online). KI Insights Briefing: Inside Ukraine’s Media: Political Role, Donor Cuts, and Pressures from Power. A closed-door session on the media crisis amid shrinking donor support and rising political risks. Includes outlook for late 2025–2026, audience shifts, and key platforms. Register here.
- 27 August 2025, Kyiv. Offline event: Forbes University business forum in Kyiv.
A key forum bringing together business leaders, education reformers, and EdTech innovators to discuss human capital, AI, demographic shifts, and Ukraine’s post-war transformation. More details & tickets here.28 August, 15:30, Kyiv time (online). - Presentation of the August 2025 Monitoring Report on IMF Program Conditionalities and EU Assistance under the Ukraine Facility by the #RRR4U consortium. The panel will discuss the challenges of phasing out the tariff freeze and its impact on the economy, energy sector, and households. Register here.
Further ahead:
- 2-4 September, Melbourne. Offline Event: 14th World Chambers Congress. Organized by the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, this global forum will gather chamber leaders and business representatives from over 100 countries to discuss key topics such as the global economy, energy, AI, cybersecurity, and ESG. Venue: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia. Register here.
- 12 September, Kyiv. Offline event: Forbes Ukraine’s Made in Ukraine Industrial Forum. A key gathering for manufacturing sector owners and executives to discuss production relocation, financing, government partnerships, and investment strategies. More details & tickets here.
- 16–17 September 2025, Lviv. Offline event: Brave1 Defense Tech Valley 2025. Europe’s leading dual-use tech investment summit returns on a larger scale, bringing together 5,000+ investors, startups, military and industry leaders to explore battlefield-proven defense innovations. Connect with global decision-makers and see how Ukraine’s smart, scalable systems are shaping the future of defense. More details & tickets here.23 September, Bucharest. Offline event: Black Sea Oil Trade-2025 International Conference. This key industry event gathers 350+ participants from 25+ countries to explore the future of oilseed and veg oil trade across the Black Sea, Danube, and Eastern Europe. The agenda will address trade policy shifts, logistics, processing investments, and market trends shaping the 2025–26 season. Register here.
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