Wen, Observer Network, Lai Jiaqi

On August 24 local time, US Vice President Vance said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program that Russia had made "significant concessions" in the negotiations, including agreeing to provide security guarantees to Ukraine. But on the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov told NBC that the agenda for the Russian-Ukrainian leaders' meeting was not ready at all, and the differences between the two sides on Ukraine's security guarantees, territory and other issues still exist.

"I think the Russians have made major concessions to President Trump in this conflict for the first time in three and a half years." Vance said in a pre-recorded program that the concessions included Russia's admission that it could not establish a pro-Russian regime in Ukraine, acceptance of Ukraine's territorial sovereignty after the conflict, and "more importantly, they have agreed on the need to provide some kind of security for Ukraine's territorial integrity."

Mr. Vance rejected suggestions that Russia was stalling the talks, saying there were "peaks and valleys" in the negotiations and that "we will either succeed or hit a dead end" and ending the conflict would not be "achieved overnight".

Trump said on the 22nd that he needed to first see whether Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Zelensky could get along. After observing the progress of the negotiations, he would make an "important" decision on the Ukraine peace process within two weeks, and warned that if peace in Ukraine does not make substantial progress, the United States may impose "severe sanctions or high tariffs, or both" on Russia, otherwise "do nothing and let them fight on themselves."

Speaking on the program on the 24th, Vance said that possible sanctions against Russia would be considered on a case-by-case basis, but the new sanctions were unlikely to put too much pressure on Russia. He said he still hoped that the United States would try to get Putin and Zelensky to sit together and negotiate "because that is the only way to end this".

On August 24 local time, US Vice President Vance was interviewed by US media, with screenshots of the video

However, in the same program, Lavrov bluntly stated that there is currently no clear arrangement for the Russian-Ukrainian leaders' meeting plan, and the core differences such as Ukraine's security guarantee and territorial issues have not been resolved. "Putin will not hold a meeting just for a group photo".

Lavrov said Putin had made it clear that high-level meetings, especially Russian-Ukrainian leaders 'meetings, must be properly arranged. Therefore, it is necessary for Russia and Ukraine to agree on a preparatory procedure. To this end, Russia proposes raising the level of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiating delegation to discuss specific issues that need to be brought to the attention of the leaders of the two countries, such as humanitarian, military and political issues.

He pointed out that during the third round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Russia proposed the establishment of three working groups, including a working group on political issues, but more than a month has passed and Uzbekistan has not yet made any response.

Mr. Lavrov said Mr. Putin was willing to meet Mr. Zelensky on the premise that the meeting would produce tangible results, but that the summit agenda was not ready at the moment and that "Putin will not meet just for a group photo", "to meet and give Zelensky a chance to get on the stage, we don't think it will work".

Lavrov accused Ukraine of obstructing the peace process, as did European leaders who "do not want peace." He pointed out that European leaders said,"We cannot allow Ukraine to fail, we cannot let Russia win." This language describing victory and defeat is not conducive to advancing peace.

"Zelensky said no to everything," Lavrov asked back."How can we meet with someone who impersonates a leader?"

Video screenshot of Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's interview with US media

Mr. Lavrov added that Mr. Putin was prepared to meet Mr. Zelensky "when the agenda is ripe", but Moscow questioned Mr. Zelensky's legitimacy, saying it would not sign a peace deal with him and that "we need everyone to confirm very clearly that the signatories are legitimate, and according to the Ukrainian constitution, Zelensky is not legitimate at the moment".

On the issue of security in Ukraine, he reiterated that any international arrangement on this matter must include Russia and that "security must be decided by consensus."

NBC reported that from the evening of the 21st to the 22nd, Russia launched its largest attack since early July, launching 600 drones and 40 missiles. Several locations in Uzbekistan were attacked, including at least 15 people were injured at a US-owned factory that produces coffee machines and other electronic products in Mukachevo, Transcarpathian State.

Lavrov retorted that he had never heard of it and sarcastically said,"Some people are really naive and think that coffee machines are actually being produced here when they see the coffee machine in the window." He said that Russia "has never targeted civilian facilities" and accused Ukraine of deliberately attacking churches and residential buildings. This was denied by Uzbekistan.

In response to questions about the relationship between Putin and Trump, Lavrov said that Putin respects Trump's concern for U.S. national interests and believes that Trump also understands Russia's position. No matter what the two discuss, it is "no secret." The two leaders "both want peace in Ukraine." Putin commented on the 22nd that his meeting with Trump was "very good" and said that relations between the two countries had seen "light at the end of the tunnel."

The Observer Network.

Extended reading

According to a report by Xinhua International Headlines, the Russian Ministry of Defense's August 23 battle report showed that the Russian army has taken control of two new villages in Donetsk and defeated the Ukrainian army in multiple settlements. The Russian army is continuing to advance into the deep defenses of the Ukrainian army.

According to a war report issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Ukrainian army lost 1325 soldiers in special military operations in the past day and night.

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In Xiaoyin's opinion, the current actions of the Russian army are mostly after the conclusion of the US-Russian presidential summit.

After US President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Trump met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House.

Although Zelensky entered the White House for the second time, under the "escort" of seven European leaders, he was not humiliated as when he entered the White House in February, Trump showed him a map of the situation on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield. This situation map shows that Russia occupies the entire territory of Crimea in Ukraine, most of Donbas, and parts of Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

Trump asked Zelensky how to talk to Russia.

Zelensky, of course, wants to ensure the sovereign independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. But Trump said that it is possible to do a territorial exchange with Russia. In fact, many people first heard Trump say this, and mostly the second monk did not touch his mind. The reason is no other ¨C after all, Ukraine once invaded the Russian Kursk region, has become the yellow flower of tomorrow. At present, the Ukrainian army does not control the territory of the Russian native village.

It turns out that Trump's implication is to let Ukraine exchange a small amount of territory in the Donbas region it controls for the territories in Kherson Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast occupied by Russian troops.

Co-authoring this is to let Ukraine exchange its own territory for its own territory. Such a "territorial swap" drama!

Trump showed Zelensky a map of the Russia-Ukraine battlefield situation at the White House. After returning to Kiev, Zelensky said that the map displayed by the White House was wrong. However, most of the territory of the four eastern Ukrainian states is indeed occupied by Russia.

The so-called Donbass is roughly the Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk regions currently controlled by Russia. Before the Russian army crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border and the Belarusian-Ukrainian border in February 2022, Russia announced the recognition of the "independence" of the two regions, as well as the recognition of the independence of the "Donetsk People's Republic" and the "Luhansk People's Republic" and the establishment of diplomatic relations with them. A few months after the "special military operation" was carried out, Russia declared the four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye into the Russian Federation through the so-called "referendum", and placed the flags of the four regions in the Russian Duma (Parliament), alongside the flags of the Russian Federation.

Perhaps, Trump believes that his mediation has changed Russia's mind and can return Kherson and Zaporozhye to Ukraine, and Ukraine is naturally grateful to Trump.

From Zelensky's second entry into the White House, he thanked Trump again and again, and seemed to see some such scenes. But it wasn't! After returning to Kiev, Zelensky directly stated that Ukraine would not give up an inch of land.

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In Xiao Yin's view, the Russian military's actions in Donbas are also based on Trump's "territorial exchange" argument. Assuming that Russian troops occupy the entire Donbas, that is, the entire territory of Donetsk and Luhansk, what will Ukraine exchange for territory?

At that time, aren't Kherson and Zaporozhye the place where the Russian army will continue to explore?

According to the news agency quoted by TASS, the Russian Ministry of Defense war newspaper showed that the Russian military also destroyed several Ukrainian ammunition warehouses and electronic interference stations in the Donbass operation. The war report said that the control of these two villages marked the Russian army's further advance towards Konstantinovka.

Take a look at the Russian military:

Fighter plane,

drones,

The gun,

This resulted in the destruction of a military factory in Ukraine, as well as 143 bases of the Ukrainian army and "foreign mercenaries".

The Russian air defense forces shot down four air-powered bombs and 160 fixed-wing drones.

Of course, after all, Russia and Ukraine have been wrestling for more than three years, and Ukraine is not unable to fight back. Even according to the Russian side, Russia is also suffering from Ukraine's attack.

Russia's Volgograd Oblast air defense system strikes incoming Ukrainian drones and others

Bocharov, governor of Volgograd Oblast in southwestern Russia, said on August 23 that the state was under concentrated drone attacks in the early morning of the day and Russian air defense forces intercepted it. A drone crashed next to a high-rise residential building in the state of Petrovvar, injuring three residents.

The Hungarian side also said that Ukraine used drones and other equipment to bomb Russia's "Friendship" oil pipeline to Hungary, causing Russia's oil supplies to Hungary, Slovakia and other countries to be temporarily interrupted.

But overall, in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Russia is now gradually in the offensive! and wants to get more "coding" on the battlefield!

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I always feel that the Russia-Ukraine conflict seems likely to enter its fourth year. And Trump should not say "end the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 24 hours", and he will not be able to complete this task even if he is given 240 days!

Xinhua Agency sponsored reference news on August 24 quoted the Washington Post website as saying that Trump hinted that he would suspend efforts to promote a peace agreement in Ukraine and expressed dissatisfaction with the rising number of casualties and the failure of Russia and Ukraine to make progress in reaching a peace agreement. The title of the reference message was,"Trump's 'Major Change in Position'."

Trump told a group of visiting reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on August 22 local time: "I am not satisfied with any aspect of this war. I am not satisfied at all."

This time, Mr. Trump laid out a timetable, declaring that an important decision would be made "within two weeks" on the future course of the conflict.

On August 15, U.S. President Trump (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a joint press conference after meeting at the Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Military Base in Anchorage, Alaska, USA Photo: Xinhua Agency

The ¡°two weeks¡± are mostly false words in the ¡°Trump language law¡±, not specific numerology. Like the ¡°24 Hours to End the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict¡± before, the ¡°24 Hours¡± was later described as a joke by U.S. Russian-Ukrainian Special Envoy Keith Kellogg. Currently, born in 1944, Mr. Kellogg, the head of the U.S. Russian-Ukrainian Special Envoy, but in fact, almost everything that helped Trump to mediate Russia¡¯s Special Envoy was taken over by U.S. Middle East Special Envoy Witkov, and Keith Kellogg was almost left home!

Smile and drink, regardless of the changes in positions and work arrangements in the United States, just saying that after Trump's position has changed "significantly", let Russia and Ukraine fight, how much chance does Zelensky have to win?