French President Emil Macron reveals that U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in organizing a tripartite meeting involving Putin, the Russian leader, and Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President.
Ukraine reports over a staggering 1 million casualties since the start of the large-scale invasion, with independent Russian media confirming the deaths of 121,507 soldiers in Ukraine from February 24, 2022, to July 31, 2025.
The ongoing fighting in Ukraine continues unabated, with the southern region of Kherson reporting three deaths this morning. Meanwhile, Ukrainian kamikaze drones reportedly attacked a strategically important oil and gas facility in Russia early this morning.
Diplomatic efforts are ongoing, with US President Donald Trump aiming to achieve a ceasefire at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday. However, recent summits, including those in Alaska and Washington DC in 2025, have not resulted in concrete agreements on territorial changes.
Russia has gained around 76 square miles of Ukrainian territory, marking a significant increase in controlled land, but these gains are ongoing and contested. The Russian army has concentrated more than 100,000 soldiers in the Donbass, with some commanders comparing the troop concentration to World War II levels.
Russia insists on having a key role or veto in Ukraine's future security arrangements, impeding negotiations on territorial and security issues. Europe is eager to ensure that Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska goes in the right direction, with French President Emmanuel Macron stating that Trump is willing to push for a trilateral summit with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sees a chance for an end to the war in Ukraine and has expressed support for Merz's diplomatic initiative in the conflict. Merz has called for a clear order in possible negotiations, advocating for a ceasefire first and ensuring that Ukraine is at the table in follow-up meetings.
Lithuania plans to launch a new training program for the general public and schoolchildren on building and operating drones this fall, while Russia is restricting calls via messaging services Telegram and WhatsApp due to concerns about fraud and terrorism.
Ukrainian President Zelensky plans to come to Berlin today to participate in the video conferences at the Chancellery for the Alaska summit on the future of his country. Meanwhile, a man trying to cross the border river Narva on an air mattress to join the Russian military fighting against Ukraine was detained by Estonia's border guard.
Right-wing populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated that Ukraine has already lost the war against Russia, while former US National Security Advisor John Bolton sees the summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska as a "propaganda victory" for the Kremlin.
Russia continues to assert its claim to four Ukrainian regions ahead of the Putin-Trump summit this Friday, while Ukraine's President Zelensky has instructed the government to facilitate the exit of young conscript men from the war-torn country.
As the conflict continues, both sides remain committed to their respective positions, and the international community continues to watch closely for any signs of progress towards a peaceful resolution.
- The community policy should address the ongoing drone attacks, such as the one that targeted a strategically important oil and gas facility in Russia, to maintain regional security and ensure peace in the general news.
- The employment policy of Lithuania, with the launch of a new training program for the general public and schoolchildren on building and operating drones, may inadvertently fuel war-and-conflicts, as the proliferation of drone technology could be used for hostile purposes on both sides of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflicts.
