Key events on day 1,272 of Russia’s war on Ukraine:
Here is an update on Tuesday, August 19:
Politics and Diplomacy
- US President Donald Trump stated he had a “good meeting” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday.
- Trump highlighted discussions on security guarantees that European countries would provide to Ukraine, coordinated with the US.
- Zelenskyy described US involvement in the security guarantees as “a major step forward,” with details to be formalized in writing within the next week to 10 days.
- Zelenskyy also announced that Ukraine offered to purchase $90 billion worth of US weapons.
- Finnish President Alexander Stubb noted that the security guarantees discussed were akin to Article 5-type guarantees for NATO members but required further refinement.
- A Kremlin aide reported that Trump spoke with Putin for 40 minutes following his meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders, discussing the potential increase of Russian and Ukrainian representatives in talks.
- Trump initiated plans for a bilateral summit between the Russian leader and Zelenskyy, followed by trilateral talks involving the US president.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated that a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy might occur within two weeks.
- French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Trump believes Putin also desires a peace accord but warned that if negotiations are refused, sanctions on Russia would be increased.
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared the talks a “significant breakthrough,” emphasizing the new collaboration between the US and UK on security guarantees.
Fighting
- Before the talks, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian attacks across the country killed 14 people, including a drone attack on a Kharkiv apartment building that killed at least seven and wounded 30 others.
- Another strike in Zaporizhzhia killed three people and injured 23, according to the regional governor.
- Ukraine’s air force indicated that Russia launched four Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 140 Shahed and decoy drones across Ukraine overnight, with 88 drones being intercepted or jammed.
- Falling debris from a Ukrainian drone shot down by Russian forces ignited fires in a hospital building and at an oil refinery near Volgograd, reported Governor Andrei Bocharov on Telegram.
- Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its forces destroyed 141 Ukrainian drones and four guided aerial bombs within a 24-hour period, as cited by the state-run news agency TASS.
