“A united Ukraine will never again be forced into that shameful thing the Russians call a compromise. We need a just peace.” On his country’s Independence Day – which marks the 34th anniversary of its declaration of independence from the USSR – Volodymyr Zelensky once again rejects the idea of an agreement to end the war that would involve the transfer of territories to Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The day before, on Flag Day, the president of Kiev had already guaranteed that the yellow and blue flag would remain “ safe ” even in the eastern regions controlled by Moscow: “ We will not cede our land to the occupier ,” he had said. On Sunday, in a video message posted on social media and recorded in the center of the capital, he reiterated his rejection of agreements reached behind his back: “What our future will be, only we can decide. And the world knows it. And the world respects it. It respects Ukraine. It perceives Ukraine as its equal.”

“We will take back the occupied territories” – Not only that: Zelensky goes so far as to promise that the occupied territories (Crimea and the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia) will return to Kiev's control. “Our citizens are there, and no distance between us can change that, and no temporary occupation can change that. One day the distance between Ukrainians will disappear, and we will be together again as one family, as one country. It's only a matter of time,” he says. The Ukrainian leader expresses optimism about the outcome of the conflict: “Today, both the United States and Europe agree: Ukraine has not yet won, but it certainly will not lose. Ukraine has won its independence,” he says. Promising a “sustainable, reliable, and lasting” peace: “Ukraine will achieve it because it will receive security guarantees so solid that no one in the world will ever think of attacking it again. This is not only our goal, it is exactly what we want to pass on to our children and grandchildren: a strong Ukraine, an equal Ukraine, a European Ukraine, an independent Ukraine.” Zelensky later reiterated that his idea of security guarantees necessarily implies the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine : “The presence on the ground, as they say, of boots on the ground, is important to us,” he said, speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on a visit to Kiev. A prospect that Donald Trump's US has so far rejected, but is gaining greater acceptance from some European states.

Trump: “End the carnage” – Among the messages of congratulations from heads of state and government around the world for Independence Day – posted by Zelensky on his X account – there is also one from Trump, who on August 15 met Putin in a historic face-to-face meeting in Alaska. “The time has come to end the senseless carnage. The United States supports a negotiated agreement that leads to a lasting peace that stops the bloodshed and safeguards the sovereignty and dignity of Ukraine,” writes the US president, congratulating the “valiant Ukrainian people on their 34 years of independence. On this important day, know that the United States respects your struggle, honors your sacrifices, and believes in your future as an independent nation,” he adds. Pope Leo XIV, instead, writes to Zelensky “with a heart wounded by the violence” that is “devastating” his country: “I implore the Lord to move the hearts of people of good will, so that the clamor of arms may be silenced and the way opened to dialogue.”

Lavrov:"Starting from Istanbul 2022" – Meanwhile, in an interview with Russian public television, Moscow's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western countries of" seeking a pretext to prevent negotiations," hoping their attempts "will be thwarted." And he criticized Zelensky: "When he says that the immediate priority is a meeting with Putin, it's basically a game. A game he's very good at playing, because he wants theatrics in everything he does. He doesn't care about substance." He then states that the Kremlin leader "has clearly stated his readiness to continue the direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations that began in Istanbul" in 2022: "Three rounds have already taken place. Vladimir Putin noted that high-level meetings, especially between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, must be well-organized. Therefore, a preparatory process agreed upon by the parties is necessary. To this end, we have proposed raising the level of the delegations that have met and will meet in Istanbul to discuss specific issues." Putin, Lavrov explained, is ready to meet Zelensky"provided that this summit truly has substantial content" and that a work program to this effect "is ready. And at the moment, it is not at all. Meeting just to give Zelensky another opportunity to show himself on the stage is, in our opinion, of no use," he said.

Vance:"Russia Has Made Significant Concessions" – At the same time, US Vice President J.D. Vance spoke out, declaring in a TV interview that Putin, during the meeting in Alaska,"made significant concessions to Donald Trump for the first time in three and a half years" and that Russia is "very flexible on some of its key demands." In particular, he stated, Moscow's"concession" concerns "the recognition that Ukraine will have territorial integrity after the war." And he reiterated the White House's opposition to sending troops to ensure peace: "The president has been clear. There will be no American troops in Ukraine, but we will continue to play an active role in ensuring that Kiev has the security guarantees and the confidence necessary to end the war and that Russia can stop the war."

Explosion in Moscow, prisoner exchange between the two armies – On the ground, the Ukrainian army announced that it had recaptured three villages in the Donetsk region from Russian hands (Mykhailivka, Zelenyi Gai and Volodymyrivka). On Sunday morning in Moscow there was an explosion in a large children's store, which caused one death and three injuries: according to emergency services, the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder used to inflate balloons. The mayor of the capital Sergei Sobyanin also spoke on Telegram of"a technical malfunction of an equipment". The exploded shopping center is located near the Lubyanka building, formerly the headquarters of the KGB and now of the FSB intelligence services. Also on Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had completed a prisoner exchange:"146 Russian servicemen were repatriated from territory controlled by Kiev, and in exchange, 146 Ukrainian prisoners of war were returned," it said, specifying that"the United Arab Emirates provided humanitarian mediation during the return of Russian servicemen from captivity." Furthermore,"eight residents of the Kursk region (the Russian border territory occupied for a time by Ukraine, ed.) illegally detained by the Kiev regime have been repatriated and will be returned home," it said.