WSJ: Putin ally steals 400,000 acres of Ukrainian farmland.

At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Sept. 2, Fico pledged to discuss with Zelensky attacks on energy infrastructure, a reference to recent Ukrainian strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia.

"I don't see much point in them, (...) because it will be practically impossible to reach an agreement with the Ukrainian side on key issues: even if there is political will, which I doubt, there are legal and technical difficulties," Putin said.

Oleksii "Leo," a Ukrainian battalion commander with the legendary Azov Brigade, discusses Russia's rapid advances in the east, Ukraine's manpower shortage, and potential scenarios for the future of the war.

"Gasoline (in Russia) is becoming scarce, while gas and oil are quickly running out," Ukraine's top drone warfare commander, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, wrote.

"I'm sure many people sitting in this room will say 'yes, this is outrageous,'" Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We are working with the United States and other partners to intensify our pressure through additional sanctions — both direct and secondary sanctions," European Council President Antonio Costa said.

"May they have a long and prosperous future together," U.S. President Donald Trump said.

Current proposals envision these measures taking effect only after a ceasefire.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russian forces launched 157 Shahed-type attack and decoy drones overnight, along with six S-300 guided missiles and an X-59 air-launched missile.

"If any troops appear there, especially now, during the fighting, we assume that they will be legitimate targets for destruction," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 125,681 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine.

"Germany, Italy, and Poland are definitely among Ukraine's security guarantors. We won't go into details yet, but we already have an understanding (of cooperation)," President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron during the Paris summit.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order on Sept. 5 to rename the U.S. Department of Defense to the Department of War, various media outlets, citing sources in the White House, reported.

The Trump administration is preparing to phase out funding for U.S. security assistance programs for European countries bordering Russia, FT reported Sept. 4. The move is part of a broader push for NATO allies to increase their defense spending.