UK and France approved Storm Shadow/SCALP missile production in Ukraine
Ukraine has received approval from the U.K. and France to move ahead with domestic production of long-range Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on August 25.
Zelensky said French President Emmanuel Macron had confirmed that restrictions on SCALP missiles and related licenses would be lifted. The U.K. had already agreed to allow defense company MBDA to share classified technical information on British-made components with Ukraine, paving the way for local production.
The Kremlin condemned the decision, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov calling it “fuel on the fire” and claiming Russia was identifying potential missile production sites in Ukraine.
Zelensky also said Ukraine expects a timeline within 7–10 days for further work on Freyja, a joint Ukrainian-European anti-ballistic missile project. Norway has pledged $9 billion in financial support for Ukraine outside the EU framework in 2027 and plans to help finance the project.
Ukraine has also received commitments for several Crotale air defense systems and VT-1 missiles, AIM missiles and additional Patriot interceptors. Zelenskyy did not identify the countries providing the weapons.
Director of the CIA mysteriously visited Moscow; Possible reasons for the unexpected trip
Today, the world's media were shaken by the news of the unannounced visit of the Director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, to Moscow. It is his first trip to the Russian capital since taking office and the highest-level visit to Russia by a representative of Donald Trump's administration since January. The US informed Ukraine ahead of Ratcliffe's trip that a senior delegation was heading to Moscow and asked it to pause strikes until the delegation leaves.
Ukraine peace negotiations were the first widely discussed possibility of Ratcliffe's trip to discuss ways to restart or advance stalled U.S.-mediated talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. With negotiations largely frozen and the sides far apart on key issues, the CIA director may have been exploring intelligence-related confidence-building measures, red lines, or back-channel ideas that could reduce the risk of further escalation.
Another possible reason for the visit could be prisoner exchanges or detainee issues since the CIA has previously played a central role in U.S.-Russia prisoner swaps. Ratcliffe may have been discussing the possible release of remaining American or dual-national detainees, or reciprocal arrangements involving Russian nationals held in the West. Such sensitive talks are often handled directly by intelligence chiefs rather than diplomats.
The reason extending beyond the Russia-Ukraine issue could have been Iran and secondary sanctions. The visit followed the U.S. announcement of a new campaign (“Operation Economic Outcast”) to isolate Iran by punishing countries and companies that continue doing business with Tehran. Russia remains a strategic partner of Iran. Ratcliffe could have been warning Moscow about the consequences of deeper cooperation with Tehran or seeking limited intelligence coordination on Iranian activities.
Another possible purpose is an attempt to talk Russia out of a potential assault on the NATO countries in Eastern Europe and to manage the risk of direct U.S.-Russia confrontation, reducing the chance of escalation in the Black Sea or European theater, and to discuss mutual restraint on certain types of strikes or cyber operations while the war in Ukraine continues.
In the end, while the exact purpose of CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s quiet trip to Moscow remains officially undisclosed, the very fact of the visit shows that, under given difficult circumstances, the two countries continue to maintain contact between intelligence services. Whatever was discussed behind closed doors, such contacts keep at least a narrow door open for dialogue when public diplomacy is frozen.
Kremlin dismisses Donbas free economic zone proposal
The Kremlin has rejected a U.S.-backed proposal to establish a free economic zone in Ukraine’s Donbas as part of a potential peace agreement, claiming the region belongs to Russia.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that it was unlikely for “any third party” to administer what Moscow considers Russian territory. Russia claims sovereignty over the occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and has incorporated the claim into its constitution.
The proposal, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, would create a buffer zone in Donbas where both Ukrainian and Russian forces would withdraw by equal distances. A third party would administer the zone, though its identity has not yet been determined. The plan also reportedly includes a ceasefire and supposes roles for NATO and the EU.
Moscow’s rejection underscores the central dispute in the peace talks: Russia continues to demand that Ukraine surrender territory it does not currently control, while Kyiv insists on a ceasefire along the existing front line.