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‘Russia should cease the killing and present real willingness for peace,’ EU26 says
26 member states of the EU have signed a brand new assertion issued by the EU’s overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas, condemning the Russian assault on Kyiv on Thursday, calling out “the reckless nature of Russia’s assaults and its disregard for worldwide legislation.”
The group – which contains all EU members states apart from Hungary, which frequently refuses to again statements vital of Russia – harassed that “intentional assaults in opposition to civilians and non-military aims are battle crimes,” and warned that “all commanders, perpetrators and accomplices of those grave violations of worldwide humanitarian legislation shall be held to account.
“These crimes solely reinforce our dedication and resolve to help Ukraine and its folks of their defence in opposition to Russia and their pursuit of a complete, simply and lasting peace,” the assertion stated, promising to “proceed and improve” help for Ukraine and “speed up” the work on new sanctions in opposition to Russia.
Russia should cease the killing and present real willingness for peace.
Key occasions
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Prices of not serving to Ukraine now might be extra substantial in long run, Danish defence minister warns
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‘Broad help’ to broaden EU army mission to offer coaching, recommendation inside Ukraine after truce, Kallas says
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Russia intentionally chooses to escalate and mock peace efforts, EU’s Kallas says
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Russia massing 100,000 troops close to east Ukraine stronghold of Pokrovsk, Zelenskyy says
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‘Russia should cease the killing and present real willingness for peace,’ EU26 says
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Ukraine’s high army chief speaks with ‘Coalition of the Prepared’ on safety help for Ukraine
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Zelenskyy says safety ensures dialogue wants leaders’ involvement, parliamentary ratification
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Zelenskyy urges Monday deadline for Russia to conform to bilateral assembly on ending battle
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Europe must recognise must work on readiness to reply to crises, EU’s von der Leyen says, as she warns in opposition to ‘predator’ Putin
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Turkish overseas minister claims Russia scales again its territorial calls for in Ukraine
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Sweden summons Russian ambassador over Ukraine assaults
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Russia seems to reject safety ensures for Europe, warning of danger of battle
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Russian missiles is not going to cease our help for Ukraine because the British Council’s very important work goes on – remark
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Kyiv residents fatalistic however defiant as metropolis once more comes below mass air assault
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Eire’s Harris helps Denmark over alleged US Greenland affect marketing campaign
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‘This can’t be consequence-free zone,’ Eire’s Harris says after Russian assaults on Kyiv
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Morning opening: 23 lifeless in yesterday’s Russian assaults on Kyiv, Zelenskyy says
Prices of not serving to Ukraine now might be extra substantial in long run, Danish defence minister warns
Talking alongside Kallas, Danish deputy prime minister and defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen stresses the necessity to present Ukraine with the help it wants.
He says:
“That is certainly an essential time for Europe’s safety, and we’ve got additionally mentioned this throughout our assembly right this moment, a central subject for right this moment’s assembly was the EU’s army help to Ukraine.
The duty could be very clear. Ukraine wants extra army help, and so they want it proper now. We would not have time on our aspect, and the prices if we aren’t performing now might be way more substantial in the long run.
We merely don’t have a selection.”
‘Broad help’ to broaden EU army mission to offer coaching, recommendation inside Ukraine after truce, Kallas says
Reporting after ministerial talks on Ukraine, Kallas says “it’s clear that Europe will absolutely play its half.”
She says the EU ministers confirmed “a broad help” to “broaden our EU army mission mandate to offer coaching and recommendation inside Ukraine after any truce.”
She says the EU is already the biggest coaching supplier for Ukraine’s army, nevertheless it “have to be able to do extra,” with EU trainers in Ukraine’s army academies and establishments and dealing on constructing Ukraine’s civilian resilience in opposition to Russian hybrid assaults.
She additionally touches upon the necessity to present Ukraine with new safety ensures.
She says:
“Going ahead, we are going to carefully coordinate with the Coalition of the Prepared.
Ministers have been clear that the safety ensures for Ukraine have to be sturdy and credible. 2022 should not be allowed to repeat.”
Russia intentionally chooses to escalate and mock peace efforts, EU’s Kallas says
EU’s overseas coverage chief Kallas is talking in Copenhagen now.
“The previous weeks, we’ve got seen diplomatic efforts to finish Russia’s battle, and it’s clear that Europe desires peace, America desires peace, Ukraine desires peace.
Who doesn’t need peace is Russia.”
She says Russian assaults on Kyiv confirmed it was a “deliberate selection” to “escalate and mock the peace efforts.”
Russia massing 100,000 troops close to east Ukraine stronghold of Pokrovsk, Zelenskyy says
Her feedback might be carefully watched as they arrive shortly after Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy advised reporters that Russia was increase a drive of some 100,000 troops close to the jap Ukrainian stronghold of Pokrovsk, which Russia claims as its territory, AFP reported.
“There’s a build-up and focus of the enemy there. As much as 100,000 – that’s what we’ve got as of this morning. They’re making ready offensive actions in any case,” Zelensky advised journalists.
Jakub Krupa
We must always hear from Kallas herself shortly – her press briefing is predicted to begin within the subsequent jiffy.
I’ll convey you all the important thing strains right here.
‘Russia should cease the killing and present real willingness for peace,’ EU26 says
26 member states of the EU have signed a brand new assertion issued by the EU’s overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas, condemning the Russian assault on Kyiv on Thursday, calling out “the reckless nature of Russia’s assaults and its disregard for worldwide legislation.”
The group – which contains all EU members states apart from Hungary, which frequently refuses to again statements vital of Russia – harassed that “intentional assaults in opposition to civilians and non-military aims are battle crimes,” and warned that “all commanders, perpetrators and accomplices of those grave violations of worldwide humanitarian legislation shall be held to account.
“These crimes solely reinforce our dedication and resolve to help Ukraine and its folks of their defence in opposition to Russia and their pursuit of a complete, simply and lasting peace,” the assertion stated, promising to “proceed and improve” help for Ukraine and “speed up” the work on new sanctions in opposition to Russia.
Russia should cease the killing and present real willingness for peace.
Ukraine’s high army chief speaks with ‘Coalition of the Prepared’ on safety help for Ukraine
Individually, Ukraine’s high common Oleksandr Syrskyi simply stated he spoke along with his counterparts from member international locations of the so-called “Coalition of the Prepared” about steps that would assist safe a simply and lasting peace within the battle with Russia, Reuters reported.
“Collectively developed sensible options, supported by actual mechanisms of political and diplomatic help from dependable companions of Ukraine, are able to guaranteeing a simply and lasting peace for Ukraine and all of Europe,” he stated.
Zelenskyy says safety ensures dialogue wants leaders’ involvement, parliamentary ratification
Throughout a gathering with reporters, Zelenskyy stated that discussions by Kyiv’s companions on safety ensures for Ukraine ought to be “urgently” elevated to a leaders’ stage, and that US president Donald Trump ought to participate, Reuters reported.
He stated he anticipated to proceed discussions with European leaders subsequent week on what he described as Nato-like commitments.
“We’d like the structure to be clear to everybody,” he stated. “Then we need to join with President Trump throughout a gathering… and inform him how we see it.“
Zelenskiy added that he would additionally prefer to see allies ratify any safety ensures by their respective parliaments.
“We wish legally binding safety ensures. We don’t need (one other) Budapest Memorandum,” he stated, referring to a 1994 deal wherein Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in trade for safety assurances.
Zelenskyy urges Monday deadline for Russia to conform to bilateral assembly on ending battle
We’re getting some information strains from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by way of Reuters.
He’s quoted as saying that Ukraine and its allies have agreed to attend till 1 September for Russia to indicate real willingness and readiness to participate in a bilateral meting on ending the invasion of Ukraine.
However he stated that he anticipated a response from companions if Russia fails to maneuver by this deadline.
Zelenskyy additionally argued in favour of transferring talks on safety ensures to a extra senior stage of nationwide leaders.
I’ll convey you full quotes after we get them.
Europe must recognise must work on readiness to reply to crises, EU’s von der Leyen says, as she warns in opposition to ‘predator’ Putin
European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen is in Latvia right this moment, and has been chatting with the media in the previous couple of minutes.
Talking alongside Latvia’s prime minister Evika Siliņa, she praised the nation’s work on turning into “a real drone and anti drone powerhouse” in Europe, contributing to Nato’s safety within the area bordering with Russia.
We all know that Europe is barely secure if the jap border is secure.
She added:
“The dangers your nation and the opposite Baltic States warned us about, sadly, have materialised.
Russia’s brutal battle in opposition to Ukraine is now in its fourth yr, Putin is a predator, Putin’s proxies have been concentrating on our societies for years with hybrid assaults, with cyber-attacks, [and] the weaponising of migrants is one other instance.”
Von der Leyen additionally revealed that the EU has reached “full subscription” of the EU’s €150bn SAFE mechanism for joint procurement as a part of its broader effort to step up defence manufacturing.
The fee president, and former German defence minister below Angela Merkel, harassed that “the entire of the European Union wants to grasp that you will need to work on readiness, speedy readiness” to reply to rising dangers and threats.
She spoke that this included the significance of economic flexibility for EU member states “to spend money on their very own defence,” and the necessity to look into extra joint procurement throughout Europe.
Von der Leyen additionally stated that “in parallel” the EU wanted to work on strengthening the Ukrainian armed forces to show them into “like a metal porcupine, undigestible for potential invaders.”
Turkish overseas minister claims Russia scales again its territorial calls for in Ukraine
Turkish overseas minister Hakan Fidan stated that it was his understanding that Russia can be prepared to freeze the battle within the south of Ukraine alongside present entrance strains whether it is given all the Donbas area.
In feedback reported by the AFP, Hakan argued that Russia has moved on from its authentic calls for.
“There may be presently a preliminary (settlement) relating to the return of 25-30 p.c of Donetsk and sustaining the contact line in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson,” Fidan stated in an interview with TGRT Haber on Thursday.
It was not clear who that settlement was between, AFP famous.
Requested about Fidan’s feedback, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Moscow was “intentionally not disclosing all the main points of the dialog between the 2 presidents in Alaska” as doing so would hinder the peace course of.
The Ukrainian army stated it had carried out an in a single day strike on a facility in Russia’s Bryansk area chargeable for pumping diesel gas for Moscow’s battle effort in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
In a press release, Kyiv’s Normal Workers stated the station within the village of Naitopovichi has a pumping capability of round 10.5m tonnes per yr, and that the strike had induced a hearth.
Sweden summons Russian ambassador over Ukraine assaults
After the EU and the UK, Sweden has now additionally summoned the Russian ambassador to “protest in opposition to Russia’s continued assaults on Ukrainian cities and civilians.”
Sweden wished to “emphasise Russia’s obligation to guard civilians and civilian infrastructure in accordance with worldwide humanitarian legislation,” a press release on the overseas ministry’s web site stated.
Russia seems to reject safety ensures for Europe, warning of danger of battle
In the meantime, Russia has appeared to reject the European proposals on safety ensures for Ukraine, claiming they’d improve the chance of a army battle and switch Ukraine right into a “strategic provocateur” on Russia’s border, Reuters reported.
Russian missiles is not going to cease our help for Ukraine because the British Council’s very important work goes on – remark

Scott McDonald
Chief government of the British Council
On Wednesday evening, our workplace in Kyiv was broken in a Russian missile assault. It was a stark reminder of the dangers that an organisation akin to ours faces in conflict-affected areas. I used to be relieved to listen to that each one colleagues have been secure and accounted for. One colleague was injured and admitted to hospital however fortunately he’s in a secure situation.
Working below such situations all over the world is difficult, and but, repeatedly, our colleagues and companions display braveness and dedication in carrying on regardless of the hazards. Their resilience is extraordinary. We’re working to seek out methods to minimise disruption and persevering with to help our crew there. …
My colleagues work in essentially the most advanced and sometimes harmful locations, whether or not in Myanmar, Iraq, the occupied Palestinian territories, Venezuela or Bangladesh. And so they don’t hand over when the going will get powerful.
If we’re completely compelled to withdraw from a area, we return as quickly as doable. Which means our historical past has not been with out tragedy. In 1971, guards have been killed defending our workplace in Dhaka throughout Bangladesh’s liberation battle. Extra lives have been misplaced through the Taliban assault on our workplace in Kabul in 2011. There have been shootings, arrests and detentions. We’ll all the time be grateful to the individuals who have stood with us in opposition to those that will go to essentially the most violent ends to disrupt our work.
Over the previous 90 years there have been durations of friction, battle and battle and a few of relative peace. I concern the years forward maintain vital problem. However that’s when the British Council must ship greater than ever.
This battle has broken Ukraine’s infrastructure, placing the suitable to training of hundreds of thousands of younger folks at stake. The British authorities not too long ago dedicated to a 100-year partnership with Ukraine, signifying the breadth and depth of relationships between our international locations. The work of the British Council is extra essential than ever – it can proceed all through the battle, workplace or no workplace.
Kyiv residents fatalistic however defiant as metropolis once more comes below mass air assault

Dan Sabbagh
in Kyiv
Pictures by Julia Kochetova
At a five-storey residential house block within the Darnytskyi space within the east of the town, residents stated they’d heard Russian bombing within the distance. It was a well-recognized sound, and plenty of had gathered away from the home windows in central corridors that prolonged alongside the block, just for catastrophe to strike.
“We didn’t perceive what had occurred,” stated Oleksandr Yastremskyi, who had taken refuge in a hall along with his spouse, Tetiana, and their son Denys. “It’s like one thing had landed into our home. After which we heard folks screaming.” 100 metres away, the opposite finish of their constructing collapsed, sending, based on Tetiana, “an enormous wave of mud and smoke” of their route.
Ivan Zhelezko, a serving soldier, regarded throughout at his bombed second-floor flat, its balcony hanging at an unsustainable angle. Round him in baggage have been a handful of possessions he had managed to take with him from the house the place he lived along with his household for 20 years.
Zhelezko stated he was too shocked to be offended, describing himself as confused. Amongst those that died, he stated, have been his buddy’s sister and the dad and mom of a childhood buddy.
The soldier defined that his household escaped as a result of they left instantly after the primary explosion, and he tried to insist the tragedy was “nothing new for me”. Such fatalism was arduous to consider, although he added: “I’m simply blissful my household is alive.”
Those that moved quick or have been merely on the different finish of the constructing could have been in a position to escape unharmed however, such was the ferocity of the blasts, taking down all 5 storeys, they may solely have been attributable to a cruise or ballistic missile assault, giving these within the path of the rockets no likelihood.
Eire’s Harris helps Denmark over alleged US Greenland affect marketing campaign
Given the assembly is held in Copenhagen, as Denmark holds the rotating EU presidency in the mean time, some ministers get requested in regards to the current allegations of US affect operations in relation to Greenland.
Eire’s Harris declared his full help for Denmark in response, saying:
“Eire absolutely helps and stands with the folks of Denmark and the Danish authorities in relation to Greenland.
I believe it’s essential that each nation within the European Union stands with Denmark in relation to this matter.”
‘This can’t be consequence-free zone,’ Eire’s Harris says after Russian assaults on Kyiv
We’re getting first strains from Copenhagen, the place EU defence ministers are assembly this morning.
Eire’s Simon Harris joined the rising refrain of these calling for a stronger response, together with additional sanctions.
He stated:
“I’m completely appalled by the actions of Russia when it comes to the assault on Kyiv and certainly the assault on the European delegation workplace there. This can’t be a consequence free zone.
I believe it’s essential that the whole world speaks with one voice in its absolute condemnation of Russia’s clear breach of the Vienna Conference.
What’s additionally clear is that whereas the world is speaking about peace, and the way will we result in peace and dialogue and diplomacy to finish the battle on Ukraine, it’s fairly clear that Russia is constant to have interaction within the actions of terror, attacking a civilian inhabitants, exhibiting no willingness for a ceasefire, and due to this fact, I believe it’s crucial that these of us within the European Union now contemplate additional sanctions.”
Earlier, Estonia’s defence minister Hanno Pevkur argued that the perfect safety assure for Ukraine can be membership in Nato.
Lithuanian minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, known as for secondary sanctions on Russia and its companions, arguing it could be essentially the most environment friendly technique to cease funding the Russian battle machine.
Morning opening: 23 lifeless in yesterday’s Russian assaults on Kyiv, Zelenskyy says

Jakub Krupa
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that not less than 23 folks have been killed in yesterday’s Russian assaults on Kyiv, together with 22 folks on a single website within the metropolis’s Darnytskyi district.
Greater than 50 folks have been injured, and 8 persons are nonetheless lacking.
On Friday morning, Zelenskyy reiterated his name for Russia to be held accountable for these strikes.
He stated:
“When as an alternative of diplomacy Russia chooses ballistics, continues to modernize ‘shaheds’ for killing, and deepens cooperation with actors like North Korea, it means the world should reply accordingly.
Sturdy sanctions, sturdy stress, sturdy steps are wanted in order that the murderers don’t really feel impunity.”
EU defence ministers are assembly in Copenhagen right this moment to debate what else the bloc may do in relation to each stress on Russia to convey it to the negotiating desk, and help and safety ensures for Ukraine.
Arriving for the assembly this morning, EU’s overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas stated:
“These assaults present that Putin is simply mocking any type of peace efforts which can be made. So what we’ve got to do is improve stress on Russia.”
Anticipate that to be a recurring theme within the ministers’ feedback all through the day.
We may even hear from the European Fee president, Ursula von der Leyen, as she is touring member states on the jap flank, and from the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, as they’re assembly for a Franco-German summit in Toulon.
I’ll convey you all the important thing updates right here.
It’s Friday, 29 August 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa right here, and that is Europe Reside.
Good morning.