Overview

• The Aug. 15 meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin is confirmed but still without a finalized venue or clear agenda as US officials rush to settle logistics.
• EU and NATO leaders, led by Ursula von der Leyen and Mark Rutte, issued a joint statement insisting Ukraine must be included in any peace talks to end the three-year war.
• Iran’s senior adviser Ali Akbar Velayati vowed to block the US-backed Zangezur corridor connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia, challenging Trump’s peace deal.
• Vice President JD Vance announced an end to direct US funding for Ukraine’s defense, urging European allies to purchase American weapons to sustain Kyiv’s war effort.
• US officials indicate Putin’s proposal will hinge on significant Ukrainian territorial concessions, though exact details of potential land swaps and security guarantees remain unclear.