Ukraine
Trump threatens more sanctions on Russia and China as deadline looms
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for three hours on August 6 for “constructive talks”, just two days before a deadline set by former President Donald Trump for a ceasefire deal.
Russia strikes key Ukrainian gas facility linked to Trans-Balkan LNG route
Pipeline built to transport Russian gas through Ukraine to Southeast Europe has recently been repurposed to support imports of LNG from the US and Azerbaijan.
India won't bow to US pressure over Russian oil imports
The Indian Foreign Ministry released an angry statement this week claiming that they are being “targeted” by the United States and European Union for importing oil from Russia.
Kremlin considering “air truce” as US envoy Witkoff arrives in Moscow for talks – Bloomberg
Russia is considering an “air truce” with Ukraine, ending its campaign of long-range drone and missile strikes against cities throughout country, as US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrives in Moscow on August 6.
Russian drone made with India-linked components found on Ukraine’s battlefields
A Russian drone containing Indian-made electronic components has been discovered on Ukraine’s battlefield, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak said in a social media post.
Czech president says Ukraine unlikely to reclaim occupied territories
Czech President Petr Pavel has said Ukraine will not be able to liberate its Russian-occupied territories in the near future, and that it is unfair to pressure Kyiv to give them up, Interfax reported on August 5.
MOSCOW BLOG: Are we drifting into a nuclear war with Russia?
US President Donald Trump moved two nuclear submarines to an “appropriate place” as part of his tough man showdown with Russian President Vladimir Putin that comes to a head this week when the 10-day deadline expires.
Russia counters Trumps nuclear submarines, abandons self-imposed limits on short- and medium-range missiles
Russia has declared it will no longer observe self-imposed restrictions on deploying medium- and short-range missiles, ending a moratorium introduced after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with the United States.
Indian opposition blames government on Trump threats
Under President Donald Trump’s second term his administration has taken a much more hawkish stance that Indian purchases enable Russia to weather sanctions and indirectly fund its war effort
Ukraine’s agro-powerhouse MHP completes acquisition of majority stake in Spain’s Grupo UVESA
Ukraine’s agro-powerhouse MHP completes acquisition of majority stake in Spain’s Grupo UVESA.
Ukraine’s central bank to hold interest rate at 15.5% amid rising inflation concerns
All 11 members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) voted to keep the key policy rate at 15.5% per annum at their meeting on July 23, the central bank said on August 4.
COMMENT: Russian sanctions have failed, but its buffers are eroding
Russia’s ability to withstand Western sanctions is showing signs of strain as fiscal and external buffers erode, according to senior economists at the Institute of International Finance.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies launch a crackdown with wave of arrests
The Ukrainian government has cracked down on corruption with a wave of arrests of lawmakers, as it attempts to undo the damage caused after rushing through a law that gutted Ukraine anti-corruption reforms.
Ukraine imposes sanctions on 94 "shadow fleet" captains from multiple countries
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on 94 individuals from Russia, Myanmar, Iran, Pakistan, China, India, Bangladesh and Georgia, as well as five oil transportation companies.
Russia’s Krasheninnikov volcano erupts for the first time in 600 years
Russia’s Krasheninnikov volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula erupted for the first time in recorded history on August 2, sending a plume of ash up to 6km into the atmosphere, according to the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT).
COMMENT: Chinese trade is an economic lifeline for Russia despite falling volumes
Bilateral trade between China and Russia declined in the first half of 2025, but the downturn masks a deeper entrenchment of economic ties that continue to sustain Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
US DoE muddies the ClimateCrisis waters with report downplaying the emissions problem
As part of the Trump administration’s attempts to take the Climate Crisis off the agenda, the US Department of Energy has released a report downplaying the impact of fossil fuels on global warming.
Ukrainian drones strike Russian airfield and oil facilities
Ukrainian Security Service drones struck a military airfield used for storing and launching Shahed drones in Primorsko-Akhtarsk on August 2.
If Kyiv doesn't want to deal with Moscow yet, Russia can wait, Putin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is prepared to wait if Kyiv believes it is not yet time to engage in negotiations, stating that Russia can be patient regarding the settlement process in Ukraine.
Trump “disgusted” with Russia, as Kyiv strike heightens pressure for new sanctions
US President Donald Trump called Russia’s attacks on Ukraine “disgusting” in his most strongly worded criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin yet, and warned that Washington will impose new sanctions if no agreement is reached by August 8