Russian invasion

Negotiations
Reports: Trump proposed Chinese forces in Ukraine

Donald Trump proposed Chinese peacekeeping forces in Ukraine during a meeting with European leaders at the White House last week, four sources with knowledge of the matter told the Financial Times.

According to the president's proposal, these would guard a neutral zone along the 1,300-kilometer front line.

A senior Trump administration official denies the reports and says there were no discussions about Chinese forces.

The idea has been dismissed by Zelensky and other European leaders because of China's support for the Russian war machine.  

Ukraine: We agree on deadline for Russia

Ukraine and its allies agree: Russia has until September 1 to show that it is ready for a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky. Zelensky says this according to several media outlets.

If that does not happen, Zelensky expects allies to act, he adds. He does not go into details, and it is unclear whether only Europe or the United States is being referred to. Today, European defense ministers are meeting in Copenhagen, and this week sources told Bloomberg that the EU is considering secondary sanctions against countries that trade with Russia.

At the same time, a Ukrainian delegation has traveled to the United States. It includes Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak. According to the president, they will meet with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and discuss investments with the business community. 

The world's response
France and Germany strengthen Ukraine's air defense

France and Germany will contribute more equipment to Ukraine's air defense, they announced in a joint statement on Friday, according to AFP.

"Despite intensive diplomatic efforts, Russia shows no intention of ending its war of aggression against Ukraine," the statement says, which follows a meeting between President Macron and Chancellor Merz in southern France.

The leaders also say they are open to a "strategic dialogue" on nuclear deterrence between them. France is currently the only EU country with nuclear weapons.

The leaders add that they will push for secondary sanctions against countries that trade with Russia, according to Bloomberg.