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Ukraine-Russia, live news | Trump: "I'd rather not be at the Putin-Zelensky meeting." Lavrov: "The Ukrainian president has rejected all of the tycoon's proposals." Air raid alert in Kiev during Rutte's surprise visit.

Friday, August 22


Alternative Takes

Trump's Perspective

Russian Perspective

Security Guarantees for Ukraine


Friday, August 22nd, live news on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. NATO Secretary General: Ukraine needs strong security guarantees. Ukrainians test the Flamingo missile with a range of 3,000 kilometers.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte give a press conference following their talks in Kyiv on August 22, 2025, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP)

20:11 | 22 August

Trump: I'll give Putin two more weeks

I'll give Putin a couple of weeks. Donald Trump said this, emphasizing that in two weeks, things could go one way or the other. But he admitted: I don't like the way the talks with Zelensky are going.

7:02 PM | August 22

Moscow: Lavrov's accusations of undermining negotiations are absurd.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called speculation that the Russian Federation is undermining the peace process in Ukraine absurd. Speculation by several Western media outlets that Russia is obstructing the settlement process is completely baseless, according to a statement from the ministry, which emphasizes that Moscow's position is consistent. The Russian ministry noted that Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, and numerous other Western publications have literally accused Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of undermining the Russian-American agreements at the highest level in Alaska because of his remarks about the inadmissibility of excluding Russia from participation in possible future security guarantees for Ukraine. How can one infer from Lavrov's words that Russia is"undermining the settlement process"? On the contrary, Russia's position is consistent, and the minister's statements confirm the Russian president's repeated theses on the Ukrainian crisis, the statement continues. The Ministry would like to emphasize that in this situation, it would be useful to recall that, according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs implements the foreign policy line established by the President, something Lavrov does personally. We consider this to be absurd speculation by Western media on sensitive issues on the international agenda and once again call for a critical attitude towards this type of fabrication, Moscow concludes.

5:58 PM | August 22

Russia claims control of three villages in Donetsk

Russia has reclaimed control of three villages in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on Telegram that it had captured the villages of Katerynivka, Volodymyrivka, and Rusyn Yar in this region annexed by Moscow. Russia is intensifying military pressure on the ground, while diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the conflict have accelerated in recent weeks. The Russian military has increased its territorial gains in recent months, facing smaller and less well-equipped Ukrainian forces. These advances come as President Donald Trump, aiming to end as quickly as possible the Russian attack on Ukraine launched in 2022, announced plans for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but participation by the warring parties still appears far from certain. Yesterday, the Ukrainian leader accused his Russian counterpart of trying to avoid this meeting. President Trump admitted he wouldn't know more about the prospects for peace until the next two weeks. The Russian military currently occupies approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Ucraina-Russia, le notizie in diretta | Trump: Preferirei non esserci all'incontro Putin-Zelensky. Lavrov: Il presidente ucraino ha respinto tutte le proposte drl tycoon. Allerta aerea a Kiev durante la visita a sorpresa di Rutte
Bilozers'ke, in Donetsk. Photo by Tommaso Fumagalli

4:56 PM | August 22

Trump: Bringing Putin and Zelensky together is as difficult as mixing oil and vinegar.

US President Donald Trump said that arranging a meeting between Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a difficult task."They don't get along very well, well, you know, for obvious reasons. It's a bit like mixing oil and vinegar," Trump said.

4:31 PM | August 22

Trump: I'd rather not be at the Putin-Zelensky meeting.

We'll see if Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky will work together. And we'll see if I have to be there; I'd prefer not to. Donald Trump said so.

2:58 PM | August 22

Zelensky: Trump is the only one who can stop Putin

US President Donald Trump is the only person who can stop Russian President Vladimir Putin today. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said this, as reported by UNIAN, during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Asked for details on the progress of preparations for the bilateral meeting with Putin, referring to talks with partners in Washington, he noted that we have no agreements with the Russians; we are negotiating with President Trump. And he is the only person who can stop Putin today. In my opinion. And we agreed that it is right to proceed in a diplomatic direction. I supported this direction, proposed by President Trump. We are talking about a trilateral meeting, which is necessary. Then he had contacts with the Russian side and said:"First, let's take a bilateral path." And this is the Russians' proposal, he said... And then—a trilateral one, he reports.

2:53 PM | August 22

Zelensky: Moscow only gives ultimatums, it wants to continue the war

Russia continues to issue ultimatums simply because it wants to continue the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated this in a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who was visiting Kiev. The issue of ending the war should be resolved at the leadership level. But we see that the Russians are doing everything they can to prevent the meeting, Zelensky said, emphasizing that Ukraine, unlike Moscow, is not afraid to meet with leaders."We are ready to work productively, to the fullest extent." We hope that our partners will help ensure at least a minimally productive position on the Russian side, the Kiev leader added. Zelensky emphasized that it is necessary to force the Russians to engage in diplomacy. If they don't accept a diplomatic solution to this war, if they don't want to end it, very severe sanctions are needed. We are counting heavily on strong sanctions packages from our partners, he concluded.

2:43 PM | August 22

Air alert in Kiev during Rutte's visit

An air strike warning was sounded in Kiev during the visit of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

2:34 PM | August 22

Zelensky: Moscow is the aggressor, it doesn't need guarantees

Russia is the aggressor, they attacked us, I don't know what guarantees Moscow needs, I don't understand. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during the press briefing with Rutte.

2:33 PM | August 22

Rutte: Ukraine needs strong security guarantees

Strong security guarantees for Ukraine are essential, and we are working on them, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in Kiev.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte shake hands during their press-conference following their talks in Kyiv on August 22, 2025, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP)

Rutte unexpectedly meets with Zelensky in Kiev

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made a surprise visit to Kiev. He met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

2:05 PM | August 22

Lavrov: Zelensky rejected all of Trump's proposals

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that at Monday's meeting in Washington between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, the Ukrainian president rejected all of the American president's proposals for a solution to the conflict. The Tass news agency reported this.

2:04 PM | August 22

Lavrov: Putin-Zeleshky summit not yet scheduled

A summit between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky is not yet scheduled, but the Russian president is open to such a meeting as soon as the agenda is finalized, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, quoted by Tass.

1:22 PM | August 22

China: Zelensky's criticism? Willing to play a constructive role in the crisis.

China has always been open and transparent on the Ukrainian crisis, taking an objective and fair stance. The parties involved are well aware of this, expressing their willingness to play a constructive role in achieving a political solution to the war between Moscow and Kyiv. This was the comment made by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, responding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's criticism that Kyiv does not need Beijing among the countries providing security guarantees, having, she argued, provided no assistance in preventing the conflict in 2022 or taken any action when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014."We believe that all parties must adopt a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security perspective to promote the political resolution of the Ukrainian crisis. China is willing to play a constructive role in this process," the spokeswoman added at the daily briefing. Zelensky's comments are in line with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's remarks regarding the revival of the 2022 proposal to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine, involving the permanent members of the UN Security Council, including Western countries, China, and Russia itself.

12:49 PM | August 22

What's the current status of Ukraine's EU membership journey? Questions and Answers

by Guido De Franceschi



1 Why has the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU been brought up again?

In an attempt to reach an agreement on a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, given that it is almost impossible for the Kremlin to accept Ukraine's membership in NATO, Ukraine's accession to the EU (as quickly as possible) is being considered as a guarantee to prevent further Russian invasions of its territory in the future. According to Bloomberg, on Monday, US President Donald Trump called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to ask him to abandon his veto on Kiev's accession to the EU. The Hungarian government then belatedly denied the existence of this phone call, but nevertheless reiterated its opposition to Ukraine joining the EU. Orbán wrote on Facebook: Ukraine's accession to the EU does not offer any security guarantees, therefore linking accession to security guarantees is useless and dangerous.



​Read the full article here

12:47 PM | August 22

Ukrainians destroy Russian reconnaissance drone base in Sevastopol

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have struck and destroyed a Russian reconnaissance drone base located at Khersones Airport in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. The Ukrainian Navy announced this in a statement on Facebook. According to the statement, the operation resulted in the destruction of three Mohajer-6 drones and two Forpost drones, used by Russian forces for surveillance of the Black Sea. The base struck was located in temporarily occupied Sevastopol, the Navy said. The attack is part of coordinated operations to counter Russian presence in the region and control maritime traffic.

12:27 PM | August 22

The conditions and territories requested by Moscow for the negotiations

As the enthusiasm following the Alaska summit and the subsequent White House summit begins to fade, and diplomatic negotiations to organize a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin clash with Moscow's maximalist rigidity, the Kremlin's conditions for theoretically ending the war are beginning to emerge more clearly.

According to Kremlin sources cited by Reuters, Russia claims the entire Donbass region, as well as demanding Ukraine's neutrality, the abandonment of Kiev's ambition to join NATO, and the abandonment of plans to deploy European troops in Ukraine as a peacekeeping contingent. In exchange, Moscow is reportedly willing to return the small portions of the Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk currently under Russian control. Compared to the initial demands formulated by President Putin, the Kremlin appears to be toning down the territorial demands expressed in June 2024, in which it demanded that Kiev cede the entirety of the four regions that Moscow claims as part of Russia: Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south.

12:12 PM | August 22

Zelensky: A strong Ukrainian army is the best security, but it's not enough.

A strong and capable Ukrainian army is the most reliable security for our people. But we also need solid security guarantees from all those who seek peace. Every day, together with the United States, Europe, and all our partners, we work to ensure security. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a message posted on Facebook. Today marks the 1,276th day of full-scale warfare, Zelensky wrote. Ukraine has been engaged in the war against Russia for its independence for longer than anyone in the world expected. This is the result of the patriotism and effectiveness of our people... I am grateful to each of you, to all our defense and security forces, for the strength you give Ukraine and for every result you achieve... Ukraine must achieve its goals, and these goals are just: to protect human lives, defend independence, and ensure a dignified peace for Ukraine, he concluded.

10:52 AM | August 22

Kiev tests the Flamingo missile with a range of 3,000 km, mass production in January

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that domestic mass production of the Flamingo missile should begin in January or February. Tests of this missile have been successful. And so far, it's the most successful missile we have: it has a range of 3,000 kilometers, which is important, Zelensky told the press, adding that we won't be able to talk much about it until we can deploy hundreds of missiles. We'll have more by December. And mass production should begin by the end of December or in January or February.

10:24 AM | August 22

Russia destroys Ukrainian Armed Forces headquarters with three-ton aerial bomb

The Russian Armed Forces struck the headquarters of the 77th Ukrainian Airmobile Brigade in the Kharkiv region with a Fab-3000 high-explosive aerial bomb, killing at least 50 Ukrainian servicemen, according to Russian sources. The Telegram channel Shot reported this. According to the same sources, approximately 30 soldiers died immediately, while others were found under the rubble. The attack, carried out yesterday afternoon, reportedly targeted the unit's command center, housed in the basement of a school in the village of Lesnaya Stenka. No civilian casualties have been reported. There is currently no independent confirmation of the incident.

9:53 AM | August 22

Moscow: Kiev bombs Donetsk 21 times in 24 hours, two dead

The Ukrainian army has shelled densely populated areas of Donetsk 21 times in the past 24 hours, killing two people and wounding 21 others, authorities in the region de facto annexed by Russia in 2022 reported, cited by Tass. Twenty-one armed attacks by Ukrainian armed groups were recorded. According to incoming information, two civilians were killed and 21 others, including a boy born in 2008, were injured, the statement read. The Ukrainian army's shelling damaged nine residential buildings, cars, and civilian infrastructure. The Ukrainian army, Tass continues, carried out 18 attacks in the Gorlovka area and three in the Yenakiyevo area. Kiev forces fired a total of 21 different munitions at DPR settlements, it adds.

9:51 AM | August 22

Kim bows to North Koreans fallen in Kursk: They gave their lives for the great victory

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un acknowledged the numerous losses suffered on the Kursk front among the troops sent by Pyongyang. Kim expressed his sorrow and sadness at a ceremony organized to welcome the commanders of the contingent sent to Russia last fall to support Vladimir Putin's war effort and to commemorate the victims, according to the official North Korean news agency KCNA. Kim bowed before framed photos of the fallen, with their names written in gold beneath each image, hung in a row on a long arched wall. The North Korean leader spoke of the fallen as noble figures who gave their precious lives for the great victory and glory, and apologized to their families for failing to protect their precious children. Of the approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers sent to Russia, 4,000 are believed to have died or been wounded, according to Western estimates.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un awards soldiers returning from Ukraine: images from the ceremony

(LaPresse) Il leader nordcoreano Kim Jong Un ha tenuto una cerimonia nella capitale Pyongyang per conferire onorificenze statali ai soldati tornati dal combattimento in Ucraina e per piangere i caduti, secondo quanto riferito venerdì dai media st...

9:50 AM | August 22

Ukrainian drone crashes into Novorossiysk Bay, killing five Russian divers.

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported the killing of five elite Russian divers in Novorossiysk Bay in the Black Sea, where they were attempting to retrieve a Ukrainian unmanned naval drone for research purposes. The GUR reported this, citing Ukrainska Pravda. The naval drone apparently lost contact with the control point and began to wander. Russian command ordered it to be fished out of the bay for examination. A group of five elite reconnaissance divers from the Underwater Sabotage Forces and Means (UDF) unit was dispatched to carry out the task, but during the maneuvers, the drone exploded, killing all five Russian divers.

9:39 AM | August 22

Kallas: The transfer of territories to Russia is a trap set by Putin.

Russia's proposals for territorial concessions, which would allow Moscow to maintain control over Ukrainian territory, are a trap Putin wants us to fall into, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas said in a statement to the BBC. Regarding security guarantees to be provided to Ukraine, Kallas also admitted that there are currently few concrete steps toward a deterrent force in the negotiations. The strongest security guarantee is a strong Ukrainian army, she said, emphasizing the importance of establishing guarantees that are not just on paper. Kallas added that it is up to the member states of the coalition of the willing to determine exactly what they can offer, and that it is not yet clear in what capacity such forces could operate.

9:28 AM | August 22

Kiev: Russian drones strike Kurgane, one dead and three injured

One person was killed and three others were injured in Russian drone strikes on the village of Kurganne, Kupyansky District, last night. This was reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office on Telegram, cited by Ukrainska Pravda. On August 22, around 4:00 a.m., Russian FPV drones attacked the village of Kurganne, Kupyansky District, it wrote. The impact occurred in a private residential area, causing a fire. Houses and outbuildings were damaged. A 59-year-old man died. Three women, aged 53, 60, and 62, were injured and are in shock.

8:42 AM | August 22

The former CIA chief: We need ultimatums, not handshakes. Trump must show strength. In Ukraine, he says yes to a US presence on the ground.

by Viviana Mazza, New York correspondent



​From the Washington summit with the Europeans and Zelensky, the best thing to come out is the recognition that we need to give Ukraine some kind of security guarantee, and the president basically agreed,” Leon Panetta tells Corriere —: even though Trump said he won't include soldiers on the ground, I think Rubio is trying to find an approach to provide that too. Russia doesn't like it. They want the right of veto. I'm not sure they'll be able to get the Russians to accept it. But I think it's a fundamental issue, because it determines whether the war will continue or not in the future and whether Ukraine can be a sovereign and independent country. So I think Europe and the United States need to find an approach that makes it clear that if Russia invades again, it will take on all of NATO, and the United States will bring its military to ensure Russia doesn't succeed. This is important if we want real peace.


Read the interview here

8:25 AM | August 22

Ukrainian forces attack Unecha oil base

A kamikaze drone attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces hit the Druzhba oil pipeline pumping station in the Russian city of Unecha, in the Bryansk region, on the night of August 22. The commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi, known by his nom de guerre Magyar, reported the attack on Telegram. He claimed responsibility for the action as the work of the 14th SBS Regiment, which has been responsible for several targeted attacks on Russian logistics facilities. According to Brovdi, the Unecha station is a strategic hub in the Friendship (Druzhba) pipeline network, owned by Transnefteproduct, and plays a key role in supplying the Russian military-industrial complex. The message concludes with the Hungarian slogan"Ruszkik haza!" (Russians, go home!).

8:24 AM | August 22

A wave of airstrikes adds to Putin's army's offensive efforts.

by Lorenzo Cremonesi



​Advances of a handful of kilometers by small groups of soldiers, marches through the woods, patrols hidden in the cellars of houses, cell phones and mini-drones: the war in Donbass is rapidly changing. Fighting is no longer conducted solely from the trenches, artillery counts for less, drones and infantry units dominate, still taking advantage of the thick summer foliage, a Ukrainian officer who moves between the areas of the Chasiv Yar front tells us. In three and a half years, we have gone from conventional clashes between entrenched infantrymen, cannons and tanks, to this duel between individual initiatives by sergeants and captains in the field, physical resistance and the use of new technologies.



​Read the article here

8:01 AM | August 22

Moscow: 54 Ukrainian drones intercepted overnight on Russian soil

The Russian Defense Ministry, quoted by the news agency Tass, says that Moscow's air defense forces destroyed and intercepted 54 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions during the night.

6:37 AM | August 22

Trump's intelligence chief limits data sharing on Kiev and Moscow

Trump Administration Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has ordered the U.S. intelligence community to stop sharing information about ongoing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine with the so-called Five Eyes countries, CBS News reports.

U.S. intelligence sources told the news outlet that Gabbard signed a directive prohibiting information sharing with the alliance that includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The directive limits the distribution of intelligence to that which has already been made public and compartmentalizes information about the peace talks within the agencies from which it originates, according to CBS News. The directive does not prohibit the sharing of information obtained through diplomatic means nor does it affect the sharing of information about U.S. military planning, including aid to Ukraine.

5:37 AM | August 22

Zelensky accuses Putin of trying to avoid a peace meeting

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of trying to avoid a meeting aimed at finding a solution to the war sparked by the Russian invasion, while Donald Trump himself dampened his enthusiasm. At the moment, the signals being sent by Russia are simply indecent. They are trying to evade the need to hold a meeting, Zelensky accused in his daily social media address Thursday evening. Instead, the Russians are continuing their massive attacks against Ukraine and their ferocious assaults along the front lines, he denounced.

5:33 AM | August 22

The building hit by the Russian attack in Mukachevo was an American factory.

The American company Flex's plant in Mukachevo was hit and destroyed by a Russian missile attack. The factory produced electronic devices such as fitness trackers, health monitors, and coffee machines for brands such as Nike, Google, and Lenovo. It had just been renovated in April. At the time of the attack, 600 workers were inside; all managed to find shelter; 15 were injured.

5:33 AM | August 22

Putin's demands to Ukraine

Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine renounce its entire eastern Donbass region, its ambitions of joining NATO, remain neutral, and keep Western troops out of the country, sources close to the Kremlin have confirmed.

5:32 AM | August 21

Trump: I hope in two weeks we'll know if there will be peace in Ukraine.

We'll know in about two weeks whether we can achieve peace in Ukraine, after which we may have to adopt a different strategy, US President Donald Trump said in an interview with radio host Todd Starnes.

August 22, 5:32 AM - Updated August 22, 8:11 PM

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