A meeting between the Ukrainian and US teams will be held at the end of the week to discuss the possibility of future negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “Today, a meeting with Kellogg will be held to further explore this topic, in preparation for a possible future meeting with the Russian side,” he said during a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Støre on August 25.
Over the weekend, all European and US representatives were in Kyiv to celebrate Ukraine’s national holiday, including Keith Kellogg, the US President’s special representative, to whom Zelensky awarded the Order of Merit, 1st Degree.
In any case, Zelensky reiterated: “Ukraine has no agreements with the Russians; we have agreed with Trump.” “We agreed that it was right to proceed along the diplomatic path. I supported the path proposed by President Trump. We discussed the necessary trilateral meeting, then he met with the Russian side and said, ‘First let’s do a bilateral path, then a trilateral path.’ And this is the Russian proposal, as he said,” Zelensky said during a joint briefing with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He also added: “Let’s talk about the date and place. That’s all I have at the moment.”
Trump halted some weapons deliveries to Ukraine over the weekend due to insufficient stocks, according to AP. These include Patriot missiles, GMLRS, Hellfire missiles, and howitzer shells.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Ukraine for the first time since his election, along with Kellogg and the defense ministers of Sweden, Latvia, and Denmark. Canada has not ruled out the possibility of a military presence in Ukraine, Prime Minister Carney said. “We are working on the terms of security guarantees on the ground, in the air, and at sea,” he said.
Canada and Ukraine have signed an action plan to implement the security agreement between the two countries. Canada announced $2 billion in military aid: armored vehicles, drones, and ammunition. An agreement on the joint production of defense products was also signed.
NATO countries have delivered $50 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine in 2024, according to the chairman of the Alliance’s Military Committee. Cavo Dragone stated that the allies intend to continue providing military assistance and even increase its volume. He noted: “There is no discussion within NATO about sending military contingents to Ukraine.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, close to Trump: “The war in Ukraine will last at least until autumn, and a meeting between Putin and Zelensky is not expected anytime soon.” According to Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy: “The Kremlin is mocking Trump’s peace efforts.”
French President Emmanuel Macron: “Four countries, including Turkey, should be ready to launch an operation in Ukraine.” Estonia is ready to send a company of soldiers to Ukraine as part of security guarantees, Prime Minister Kristen Michal said. Lithuania announced the construction of a 50-kilometer multi-layered defense line to protect its borders with Russia and Belarus from potential threats. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense: “Lithuania is moving from individual defense measures to a combined three-layer defense line. This will ensure deeper, more controllable, and reliable border security, in line with the principles of NATO/EU integration.”
Another flight carrying munitions to Ukraine arrived from the United States in Poland. A Ukrainian An-124-100 was spotted in Plovdiv being loaded with Bulgarian Mi-24V/D helicopters, apparently destined for further shipment to Ukraine. According to social media sources, the French defense company Arquus has signed a contract to supply 61 Bastion armored vehicles to Ukraine. Currently, Arquus has completed the delivery of 11 Bastion armored vehicles, with another 50 planned for the near future. This contract complements the previously concluded agreement for the supply of VAB armored vehicles from the French army. In addition to supplying armored vehicles, Arquus will also take care of their maintenance by opening a workshop in Ukraine.
According to the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, approximately 237,000 people are to be evacuated from the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, including nearly 17,200 children. It is reported that between June 1 and August 22, 2025, more than 64,000 people were evacuated from these regions.
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár threatened: “Ukraine could run out of Slovak diesel after the attacks on the Druzhba pipeline.” The Slovnaft refinery produces Russian oil products and is a major supplier of diesel fuel to Ukraine, covering 10% of its monthly consumption. “We understand that Ukraine is in a difficult situation, but this infrastructure is very important to us, especially when we see that Ukraine is harming its own interests by risking running out of fuel. Our national interest is to protect these supplies, and therefore we are also communicating openly with the Ukrainian side,” Blanar said.
Turkish Ambassador to Ukraine Nariman Celal said his country is willing to support peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. “I just met with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler yesterday; we had an excellent conversation. “Turkey is ready to participate in Black Sea mine clearance operations in the near future,” he said.
In addition to maritime mine clearance, the Turkish side is considering proposals to participate in land mine clearance operations for humanitarian and civilian purposes. Furthermore, as Celal noted, Turkey is one of 10 countries potentially ready to send troops to Ukraine. Previously, Zelensky stated that Turkey has expressed its readiness to adhere to Ukraine’s security guarantees and assume responsibility for maritime security and the deployment of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.
On August 22, Kim Jong-un paid tribute to North Korean soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine and awarded medals to soldiers returning from the war. North Korea stated that at least 100 soldiers were killed. A blog closely following events in North Korea reported that a Russian cargo plane arrived in Pyongyang on August 1, carrying the coffins of 20 North Korean soldiers killed in the war. Their photographs were displayed on a special display.
North Korean television, meanwhile, broadcast an extensive report on DPRK soldiers and officers in the Kursk border area. The report included numerous exclusive footage, including videos of assaults on Ukrainian positions, the use of multiple launch rocket systems, anti-tank systems, mortars, and so on. Only at the end of April did Vladimir Putin personally thank Kim Jong-un for his assistance. Now, finally, a ceremony honoring the battle participants has taken place in Pyongyang.
According to Western sources, Russia is building a large radio intelligence base in the Kaliningrad region, just 25 km from the NATO border. Over the weekend, Russia presented renderings of rapidly deployed anti-drone networks for various types of equipment.
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:30 PM on August 25. Busy weekend On the Ukrainian-Russian front line. On August 22, 30 explosions were recorded in an hour in Kramatorsk, as Russian forces continued to shell the city, according to the City Council. According to Turkish sources, yesterday the 156th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, stationed in the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk area, lost most of two battalions due to prolonged and heavy shelling. Twenty-nine armored personnel carriers, three tanks, four air defense systems, four electronic warfare stations, and dozens of vehicles were destroyed. Command posts and unit deployment sites were also destroyed. The area was hit by two Iskander ballistic missiles, dozens of Geranium drones, and approximately 100 glide bomb attacks.
According to Russian social media sources, “this is the first time in this war that Russia has launched such a sudden and intense attack on a unit. With increased air surveillance and fire support, similar events will inevitably happen to every Ukrainian unit leaving its shelters.”
At night, Russian Geraniums operated intensively in the Sumy region, on the frontline, and in the Ukrainian DPR.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to send more drones in a “caravan,” attempting to impose restrictions on Russian civilian airports. Two drones were shot down approaching Moscow at night, and before midnight, reports of fixed-wing drones being shot down over the regions of Crimea, Kaluga, Bryansk, and Oryol. In the Smolensk region, seven Ukrainian drones were shot down at night.
In the direction of Sumy, Ukrainian forces are attacking in the Andriivka-Oleksiivka direction, while Russian forces are striking the Ukrainians with heavy FAB aircraft.
In the direction of Kupyansk, Russian forces have been reporting successes in Sobolivka for several days, making the logistics of the armed forces in Kupyansk even more complicated.
At least four people were injured in separate drone strikes in Belgorod region.
In the direction of Borivsk, Ukrainians counterattacked near Paraskoviivka and Novomykhailivka.
In the direction of Pokrovsk, battles are taking place at Udachne, near Leontovychi, and between Troyanda and Shevchenko. The Russian capture of Novoekonomicheskoye led to the subsequent control of Russian territory up to Malynivka, capturing prisoners.
In the direction of Zaporizhia, the Guardsmen of the 57th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Army of the “East” Group of Forces took the settlement of Zaporizhzhya in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
After taking Novogeorgievka, the assault groups of the Russian 57th Guards did not slow down and immediately advanced to the next village. Zaporizhzhya has become another settlement in the Dnipropetrovsk region, quickly captured by the “East” Group of Forces.
During the battles for Zaporizhzhya, soldiers of the 57th Brigade—according to unverifiable Russian social media sources—destroyed more than one Ukrainian company, over 10 pieces of equipment, and occupied defensive structures erected by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this direction.
Graziella Giangiulio
Follow our updates on Geopolitical Gleanings - Spigolature geopolitiche: https://t.me/agc_NW and on our blog The Gleanings of AGCNEWS - Le Spigolature di AGCNEWS: https://spigolatureagcnews.blogspot.com/
