Trump’s Envoy Kellogg to receive information on front line and Russian offensive plans -Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on July 14 that U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg will receive full intelligence briefings on the front-line situation and Russia’s offensive plans. Zelenskyy emphasized the need to cut off Russia’s financial and military support, calling for an end to supplies of equipment and components to its defense sector, as well as breaking its ties with Iran and North Korea.

He also thanked international partners for progress on delivering new Patriot air defense systems and noted that Ukraine and the U.S. are working on significant defense agreements, the details of which remain undisclosed for now.

The announcement followed a meeting between Zelenskyy and Kellogg, during which they discussed air defense, military aid, and new sanctions against Russia.

Five EU members are reportedly unhappy with new Ukraine trade deal

Five EU member states — Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania — have expressed concerns over a new trade agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, fearing it could destabilize the bloc's agricultural markets. The updated deal, concluded under the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), replaces the temporary autonomous trade measures (ATMs) that had allowed Ukrainian agricultural exports to enter the EU tariff-free since 2022. These ATMs expired on June 5, and for a brief period, pre-war tariffs were reinstated before the revised agreement came into force.

The new trade deal is structured to include three main categories. The first group introduces modest increases in quotas for agricultural products considered sensitive by EU members, such as eggs, poultry, sugar, wheat, maize, and honey. The second group includes products whose quotas have been adjusted to match the highest import volumes recorded since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These products include butter, skimmed milk powder, oats, barley, malt, and gluten. The third group contains Ukrainian goods that will have fully liberalized access to the EU market, such as whole milk powder, fermented milk, mushrooms, and grape juice.

EU Agriculture Commissioner Christoph Hansen acknowledged the differing views on the agreement but defended it as beneficial to EU farmers, noting that it was important to have open discussions among member states. Tensions over Ukrainian imports have been growing since the beginning of the war, particularly among countries bordering Ukraine. In May, Polish truckers resumed protests at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, significantly limiting truck traffic at the key commercial border crossing. Opposition to Ukrainian exports has remained strong in these states, driven by fears of market saturation and unfair competition.

Polish President-elect Karol Nawrocki reaffirmed his position on the matter, stating that he does not and will not accept any agreement that puts Polish agriculture or logistics at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, Ukraine has increasingly relied on overland transport via EU routes since the outbreak of the war, further deepening its economic ties with the bloc and intensifying the debate over the future of EU-Ukraine trade.

Russian drones struck Sumy,and Kharkiv oblasts, killing one person, injuring at least 21

On July 14, Russian drone attacks targeted Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, killing one person and injuring at least 21 others, according to local officials. In Zlatopil, Kharkiv Oblast, two Geran-2 drones struck around noon, damaging residential buildings, an administrative office, a boiler house, and several vehicles. The attack killed a 57-year-old woman and injured ten others, including a 13-year-old girl, as reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

In Sumy, Russian drones hit an educational institution, wounding six people — three men and three women, including staff and a 19-year-old student. Shortly after, another strike targeted a medical facility in the region, injuring five more.

Both oblasts, located near the Russian border, have been subjected to frequent and increasingly destructive drone, missile, and artillery strikes. Ukraine’s General Staff recently reported that Ukrainian forces had stabilized the situation in Sumy Oblast, pushing Russian troops farther from the city amid Moscow’s summer offensive.