Overview

• President Trump branded the conflict a “ridiculous war” that “should never have happened,” framing it as a continuation of President Biden’s policies.
• He claimed nearly 20,000 Russian soldiers died in July, with overall Russian losses since January reaching 112,500 and Ukrainian military deaths totaling about 8,000.
• He announced a ceasefire agreement is expected by August 8 as part of a renewed diplomatic push to halt hostilities.
• Senior U.S. diplomat Sarah Kelley informed the UN Security Council that talks are now in their final stage.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the U.S. peace initiative and reaffirmed Ukraine’s willingness to engage in leader-level negotiations provided Russia shows genuine intent to end the war.