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Russia reportedly demanded Ukraine cede Donetsk Oblast and freeze other frontlines for a ceasefire, a proposal deemed unacceptable by Ukraine and its allies. Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported that the deal, brokered partly by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, involves two phases: Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk, followed by a Trump-Putin peace plan. While Trump and Putin will meet to discuss this on August 15th, concerns remain that Putin is using this to avoid sanctions and delay meaningful negotiations. Simultaneously, Ukraine received €3.2 billion in EU aid and unveiled a new drone interceptor. Ongoing Russian drone strikes against Ukrainian cities highlight the lack of good-faith negotiations.

Prepared by Rachel Morgan and reviewed by editorial team.