State Department spokesman Bruce said that Friday’s meeting between Trump and Putin “is not a negotiation.” The goal of the meeting between Trump and Putin is to better understand Russia’s position on achieving peace in Ukraine, the White House said. Donald Trump may be planning to visit Russia in the future, the White House said.
The White House declined to answer a question about the “exchange of territories” between Russia and Ukraine, citing the fact that Trump will discuss it with Putin. The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, scheduled for Friday, will be held at the Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Base of the US Air Force and Army in Anchorage, Alaska, CNN reported, citing White House sources.
Ukraine and Europe should be at the negotiating table with Russia and the US, but President Vladimir Putin does not want Kiev to participate in this process, said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “If we look at what could come out of this meeting, it becomes clear that Putin, on the one hand, wants to have his picture taken with Trump and, on the other, wants the sanctions to be lifted, or at least the threat of them,” Kallas said.
In his view, Putin wants to reach an agreement with the “big” countries, as has happened in the past, but this, he says, “is not in anyone else’s interest.” Kallas added that any agreement can be implemented with Kiev’s consent, otherwise such an agreement will be “ignored,” “and this will not benefit America and its authority.” A White House source told CNN: “Trump will participate in an online conversation about Ukraine. The statement comes after the German chancellor said that the leaders of Europe, the United States, and Ukraine will discuss preparations for the Trump-Putin meeting on Wednesday.”
The Head of the General Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, General Kirill Budanov, visited the fighters of the “Timur Special Forces” on Zmeiny Island and the gas production platforms in the Black Sea. Budanov inspected the forces and equipment used in the defense of the maritime zone, in particular the so-called “towers.” During his trip to the Black Sea region, Kirill Budanov held a meeting with officers to discuss further actions within the overall strategy and also awarded the GUR fighters of the “Timur Special Forces.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on Russia’s request for the transfer of territories: “The Ukrainian Armed Forces will not leave Donbass, as these are illegally occupied Ukrainian territories.” “For the Russians, Donbass is a springboard for a future offensive. If we leave Donbass or if they put pressure on us, a third war will begin.”
Other statements: “Ukraine has received a signal from US Special Representative Steve Witkoff that Russia is ready to end the war, to take at least the first step towards a ceasefire. This is the first signal from them. Ukraine insists on a trilateral format of negotiations (US-Ukraine-Russia) with the participation of Europe.” Zelensky is in Berlin for the pre-summit meeting between the US and Russia.
According to social media sources, the Russian Federation is preparing for an offensive operation in three directions: Zaporizhzhya, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlovsk. Part captured. Russian social media sources, quoting statements by the head of the municipal administration Dobryak, claim that the last shop in Pokrovsk has closed: about 1,300 people remain in the city. According to him, it is almost impossible to enter the city due to continuous shelling, and evacuation is very difficult.
President Vladimir Putin arrives at the summit in Alaska with the budget figures in order, as if to say that sanctions are useless and cannot in any way put pressure on Russia. Putin stated: “The budget situation is stable. Inflation in the Russian Federation was 8.8% at the end of July. The Central Bank forecasts inflation of 6-7% by the end of the year.“ He added: ”Many experts talk about the risks of excessive economic cooling and even recession, but the Central Bank is monitoring and assessing the situation and does not see any major risks.”
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov: “Kiev is preparing provocations to disrupt the Russian-American talks scheduled for August 15.”
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:30 p.m. on August 13. In the Rostov region, Ukrainian armed forces drones were shot down in the Millerovsky, Chertkovsky, and Sholokhovsky districts. In the Krasnodar region, in Slavyansk-na-Kuban, drone debris fell on the territory of an oil refinery, and a GAZelle caught fire. The governor of the Voronezh region also reported drones destroyed at night. In Volgograd, drone fragments fell on the roof of a 16-story residential building in the Traktorozavodsky district of Volgograd, with no casualties. 12 Ukrainian drones destroyed in the Bryansk Oblast.
During the day, Russian forces struck targets in the Kremenchuk, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv oblasts.
In the Sumy direction, there were no significant changes. The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ counterattack in the Yablunivka area was repelled, and house-to-house fighting continues in Yunakivka. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are gathering reserves for further counterattacks.
In the direction of Kharkiv, near Vovchansk, heavy fighting continues in the forest west of Synelnykove. In Vovchansk, on the left bank of the Vovcha River, fighters from the Russian Sever group have expanded their bridgehead, occupying three buildings, according to the Sever group of forces. Fighting is ongoing.
In the Belgorod region, Ukrainian drones struck eight locations, with at least 10 people reportedly wounded.
In the direction of Dobropillja, the information situation and absolute panic among the Ukrainian armed forces forced Zelensky to intervene and reassure Ukrainians. The Ukrainian armed forces report the expansion of the Russian control zone near the settlement of Mayak, assault actions by Russian troops near the settlements of Pankovka and Zapovidne, and attacks in the direction of Volodymyrivka.
Fighting continues near the Kleban-Bykske reservoir, south of the exit to Kostyantynivka.
Pokrovsk is surrounded by Russian armed forces. Russian troops are trying to consolidate their position on the southern outskirts of the city. To the north, there are images of Ukrainian artillery fire on Russian soldiers in Rodynske, an important settlement located on the northern road to Pokrovsk. According to Russian sources, the distance between the Russian armed forces’ “pincer” in the direction of Pokrovsk is less than 15 km.
Active fighting is underway in the Orechiv direction of the Zaporizhzhia Front, in the Novodanylivka and Malaya Tokmachka areas. Units of the Russian Armed Forces’ 58th Army have advanced in the direction of the road connecting Orichiv to Zaporizhzhia, according to frontline reports. Positional battles are underway in the Nesteryanka and Plavni area. Units of the Russian Armed Forces are storming the southern district of Stepnohirs’k.
In the direction of Kherson, attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces with Baba Yaga drones are being recorded. Forest fires caused by attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been recorded. Seven different localities have been bombed.
In the DPR, in Horlivka, four children were injured as a result of the launch of an improvised explosive device from a Ukrainian drone. Two men also suffered moderate injuries during the launch.
Graziella Giangiulio
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