Overview

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserted that a leaders’ summit can only serve as the final seal on an expert-drafted settlement and is unlikely before the end of August despite Kyiv’s proposal.
• In the third Istanbul round, negotiators agreed to another prisoner exchange and to establish political, military and humanitarian working groups for online discussions but failed to secure a ceasefire.
• President Zelenskiy reported that Russian forces have made no significant breakthroughs on multiple front-line sectors and are increasingly resorting to military-information operations.
• Zelenskiy’s government submitted legislation to restore the autonomy of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in response to large public protests and EU criticism.
• President Trump’s 50-day ultimatum ending September 2 and the threat of secondary sanctions continue to drive diplomatic maneuvering between Moscow and Kyiv.