US President Trump is using a kitchen-cum-kitchen analogy to explain his efforts to organize a meeting between the Ukrainian president and the Kremlin chief. EU Commission President von der Leyen announces billions in additional aid for Ukraine. More in the live ticker.

There's no peace in sight in Ukraine yet, but diplomatic efforts continue. Will there be a meeting between Zelensky and Putin?

All events related to the Ukraine war in the live ticker:

5:23 PM – Lavrov: No plans yet for Putin-Zelensky summit

Contrary to Donald Trump's expectations, Moscow so far sees no basis for a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Zelensky and Kremlin leader Putin."Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky once an agenda for the summit has been prepared, and that agenda is far from complete," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the US television network NBC.

Among the issues that would need to be resolved in advance were Ukraine's renunciation of membership in the Western military alliance NATO and territorial cessions."Zelenskyy has said no to everything," Lavrov continued.

5:17 PM – Trump: Putin-Selensky meeting is as difficult as mixing “oil and vinegar”

In his efforts to organize a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump is using a kitchen-sink example."We'll see if Putin and Zelensky will work together," Trump told reporters in Washington on Friday."You know, it's a little bit like oil and vinegar. They don't get along too well, for obvious reasons."

"We'll see" whether he would have to attend such a meeting, Trump continued. As part of his diplomatic peace efforts for Ukraine, the US president wants to organize a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky for the first time since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022.

16:51 – Estonia plans to establish a peacekeeping battalion

Estonia is prepared to participate in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine with a troop strength of up to one battalion. Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated this at a press conference with his Finnish counterpart in Tallinn. A battalion typically comprises between 300 and 1,000 soldiers.

16:27 – EU transfers four billion euros to Ukraine

The EU has disbursed further financial aid to Ukraine totaling €4.05 billion."Our solidarity with Ukraine is unwavering," wrote EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X. According to the EU Commission, €3.05 billion comes from the Ukraine Facility – an aid program with up to €50 billion for the years 2024 to 2027. In addition, €1 billion is coming from a macro-financial assistance loan, which is part of a G7 initiative totaling around €45 billion.

The Commission stated that the release of the funds was also made possible by the withdrawal of a law that would have restricted the independence of the central anti-corruption authorities in Ukraine.

2:34 p.m. – NATO chief makes surprise visit to Kyiv – Selenskyj doubts Putin's willingness to attend summit

During an unannounced visit to Kyiv, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called for"robust security guarantees" from Western allies for Ukraine. When the time comes for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine must have"the unequivocal force of Ukraine's friends" behind it, Rutte said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky."And that is exactly what we are currently working on," Rutte added.

It must be ensured “that Russia adheres to every agreement” and “will never again attempt to conquer even one square kilometer of Ukraine,” stressed the NATO Secretary General.

Zelenskyy accused the Russian government of trying to prevent a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. If Russia refuses to end the war, Ukraine's allies would have to impose new sanctions. Security guarantees should be similar to NATO's Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

2:26 p.m. – Putin sets conditions for meeting with Selensky

Russian President Putin is setting conditions for a summit with his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky. A finalized agenda for the meeting is a prerequisite, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the US television network NBC. This does not yet exist. Without being more specific, Lavrov stated that Russia had shown flexibility on a number of points raised by US President Donald Trump.

11:21 a.m. – Hungary is outraged by Ukrainian attacks on Russian pipeline

The Ukrainian army has damaged the Russian Druzhba oil pipeline. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote on Facebook that the flow of oil to Hungary had been interrupted. He called this another"attack on his country's energy security." Ukraine is thus harming not Russia in particular, but Hungary and Slovakia. An attack on another pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline had already interrupted supplies on Monday; they were restored on Tuesday.

According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the disruption has no impact on supply security in Germany. The ministry stated that operations at the PCK oil refinery in Schwedt, Brandenburg, which receives part of its oil supplies from Kazakhstan via the Druzhba pipeline running through Russia, were not affected. The supply was interrupted briefly.

09:50 – Ukrainian missiles hit Russian oil pumping station in Unecha

Following a Ukrainian attack, a power plant in the town of Unecha in the western Russian region of Bryansk caught fire. Ukraine attacked with missiles and drones, but the fire has since been extinguished, said the region's governor, Alexander Bogomaz. Earlier, the Ukrainian commander of unmanned systems, Robert Brovdi, stated that the oil pumping station in Unecha had been hit in an attack. He shared a video on the Telegram platform showing a facility with several oil tanks burning.

09:39 – Selenskyj: “I consider this manipulative information from Putin”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy considers the Russian demand for a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas in exchange for a freeze on the front to be frivolous. During his visit to Washington, he said of this statement to Donald Trump:"Putin is trying to sell us air."

"I consider this to be manipulative information on his part. He understands that it won't happen this way and even expects it," Zelenskyy told invited media representatives at the presidential administration in Kyiv. Der Spiegel quotes the transcript of this conversation.

Zelenskyy explained that he had explained his country's situation to Trump on a map."President Trump was interested in the details, and we talked a lot about Donbas." Zelenskyy emphasized that he did not believe in a rapid Russian advance in Donbas. He also praised the US's willingness to play a role in providing security guarantees."We must understand: Before our meeting in Washington, America lacked security guarantees. And now we hear their willingness to join in."

01:01 – Nouripour for delivery of cruise missiles to Ukraine

Green Party politician Omid Nouripour is calling for greater German support for Ukraine. The Russian military is advancing ever further on the battlefield, the Vice President of the Bundestag told the Funke Media Group newspapers."Ukraine's ability to hold out depends not least on our arms deliveries. Therefore, we must support Ukraine with everything we have – including cruise missiles."

Thursday, August 21:

10:30 p.m. – US electronics factory in Ukraine hit by attacks

A US electronics factory near the Hungarian border was also hit in the massive Russian airstrikes on Ukraine. Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, told the AP news agency by phone on Thursday. The affected Flex factory represents one of the largest US investments in the country.

Hunder explained that 600 night shift workers were on site during the attack, six of whom were injured. Russian attacks on Ukraine have damaged the property of more than half of the estimated 600 members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce since the invasion began."The message is clear: Russia is not seeking peace. Russia is attacking American companies in Ukraine, thereby dragging down American business," Hunder said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the attacks targeted Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities, including drone factories, warehouses, missile launch sites, and areas where Ukrainian troops were gathered. Russia has repeatedly denied attacking civilian areas in Ukraine.

8:34 PM – Selensky hints at more attacks on Russia

According to Zelensky, Ukraine must move away from constant defense against Russian attacks and go on the offensive itself."This war must end, we must put pressure on Russia," he said in his evening video address. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin"understands nothing but power and pressure."

5:14 p.m. – Without an offensive, a war “cannot be won,” writes Trump

US President Trump reiterates that the war in Ukraine would never have broken out without him—and points to his predecessor, Joe Biden."The corrupt and grossly incompetent Joe Biden has not allowed Ukraine to REFUSE, only to DEFEND," he writes on Truth Social. It is"very difficult, if not impossible," to win a war without "attacking the aggressor's country." It's like a sports team that is only allowed to play defensively, not offensively.

dpa/AFP/AP/rtr/lay/rct/saha