Zelensky rejected idea of territorial concessions to end Russia's war

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 9 firmly rejected the idea of ceding any Ukrainian territory to end Russia's war, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent comments about a possible territorial "swapping."

A day earlier, Trump suggested that peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv would likely involve “some swapping of territories.” His statement came as he prepared to hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week.

“The answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already in Ukraine’s Constitution. No one will deviate from this — and no one will be able to. Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” Zelensky said in his evening address.

He stressed that Ukrainians deserve peace, but a “dignified” one, and called on Kyiv’s international partners to understand this principle. “This war must be brought to an end — and Russia must end it. Russia started it and is dragging it out, ignoring all deadlines, and that is the problem, not something else,” Zelensky added.

Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet on Aug. 15 in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine, with both sides confirming the meeting. Putin has publicly demanded that Ukraine abandon its NATO aspirations and withdraw troops from four regions, a move that would force several large cities now under Ukrainian control to be handed over to Russia.

In earlier remarks, Trump did not clarify what he meant by territorial “swapping,” though it may refer to Crimea — annexed by Russia in 2014 — and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Russia declared the annexation of these latter four regions in 2022 after holding widely condemned sham referenda, despite only partially controlling them.

Russian drone attacked a bus in Kherson, killing two and injuring 16

A Russian drone hit a bus in the suburbs of Kherson, killing two people and injuring 16 others, according to the local military administration. The attack happened at around 8:00 a.m. local time. Sixteen people were hospitalized, two of them in serious condition. The victims suffered concussions, blast injuries, and shrapnel wounds. The youngest injured is 23 years old, and the oldest is 83.

Kherson Oblast is remaining partly occupied by Russian forces, lies just north of Russian-occupied Crimea, and has faced repeated attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion. Over the past day, Russia struck 36 settlements, including Kherson. According to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin, these attacks killed one person and injured three others, including a child.

We see no changes in Russia's position on ending war - Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia’s stance has not changed despite recent intensive diplomatic efforts. Writing on X (formerly Twitter) after a conversation with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, he stated that Russia continues to refuse to stop the killings, keeps funding the war, and promotes the idea of “exchanging” Ukrainian territory for Ukrainian territory — an approach that, in his words, would only give Russia more favorable positions to restart the war.

Zelenskyy stressed that all actions by Ukraine and its partners must aim to bring the war to a genuine end rather than simply reshaping it, and should work to strengthen collective security.

Russian drone attacks store in Kharkiv, six injured

A Russian UAV struck the roof of a furniture store in the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv Oblast, injuring six people, including a 17-year-old girl. According to Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast State Administration, and Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, the strike damaged the building and caused multiple casualties. Initially, Syniehubov reported five injured, with emergency and medical teams working at the scene. He later confirmed that the teenage girl was among the victims and that four injured women had been taken to hospital.

Trump's envoy Witkoff could have misunderstood Putin's ceasefire demands in Ukraine 

US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, may have misinterpreted Russia’s stance on a possible ceasefire in Ukraine following his meeting with Vladimir Putin earlier this week, according to Bild.

The German outlet says Moscow has not backed away from its demand for full control over Crimea and the occupied parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts before any ceasefire can be reached. Russia is reportedly only prepared to consider a “sectoral” ceasefire.

In leaked peace proposals, Putin appeared open to discussing a truce after Ukrainian forces withdrew only from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. But Bild sources suggest Witkoff may have misunderstood Putin’s comments on a “peaceful withdrawal” from Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — believing this referred to a Russian pullout, when in fact Moscow was demanding a Ukrainian withdrawal from these regions.

“Witkoff doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” an anonymous Ukrainian official told Bild. The newspaper adds that German government representatives share this assessment.