According to CCTV news, on August 29 local time, Yermak, the director of the Ukrainian President's Office, issued a document saying that he and Kislitsa, the first deputy foreign minister of Ukraine, met with Witkov, the US special envoy for the Middle East, in New York on the same day. Yermak said,Ukraine is willing to hold direct talks with Russia at the leadership level¡£

Yelmark said on social media that it was important to promote genuine diplomacy and implement all the agreements reached by U.S. leaders on the 18th, saying that Ukraine actively looked at all peace proposals made by the United States and that Ukraine was willing to engage in direct dialogue with Russia at the leadership level.

Screenshots of CCTV news reports

US approves arms sales to Denmark and Ukraine

According to CCTV News, on August 29 local time, the U.S. Department of Defense stated that the U.S. State Department approved the sale of the Patriot missile system to Denmark worth US$8.5 billion.

In addition, the U.S. State Department decided to approve the sale of US$179.1 million worth of Patriot air defense system maintenance and related equipment to Ukraine.

China to launch high-level strategic dialogue on nuclear deterrence

According to CCTV News,France and Germany issued a joint statement on August 29, announcing that the two countries will launch a high-level strategic dialogue on nuclear deterrence.

French President Macron and German Chancellor Mertz co-chaired the 25th France-German Council of Ministers in the southeastern French city of Toulon that day. After the meeting, the two sides issued the above joint statement. The statement said that the two countries will launch a strategic dialogue led by the French Presidential Office and the German Chancellery, with the participation of the two foreign ministries and defense ministries.

Macron has repeatedly stated that France has an independent and complete nuclear deterrence capability and, given the deterioration of the international security environment and the general awareness of the need for strengthening defence capabilities in Europe, he is ready to open strategic discussions on France¡¯s provision of a ¡°nuclear umbrella¡± to its European allies.

At a joint press conference held after the Federal Council of Ministers, Macron said the U.S. demanded that Russia "reflect the deadline for its willingness to end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict" is coming, and the Federal Government will continue to put pressure on Russia.Murts said the conflict in Ukraine could continue for months and Germany is ready to provide specific assistance to Ukraine under the framework of a "voluntary alliance" that supports Ukraine.

EU Defence Ministers Reunite to Reach Agreement on 19th Round of Russian Sanctions

Informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Copenhagen, Denmark

On August 29, local time, the informal meeting of defence ministers of the EU member states held in Copenhagen, Denmark, the parties did not reach a consensus on a new round of sanctions against Russia.

A joint statement issued by European Union member states on the same day said that the European Union will further increase its support for Ukraine, including expediting the formulation of the 19th round of sanctions against Russia. But the statement did not win the support of all member states.

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Western countries have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia. The EU adopted the 18th round of sanctions against Russia in July, focusing on Russia's energy revenue. On August 19, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Karas, said that the EU's next round of sanctions against Russia will be ready in September.

Further reading:

German Prime Minister: Even if Trump pushes for peace talks, Putin and Zelensky will not speak directly

In August, Ukraine repeatedly attacked Russian refineries, according to CCTV

Since August this year, the intensity of Ukraine's attacks on Russian territory has increased significantly. On August 10, the General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces reported that on the same day, the unmanned system force of the Ukraine Armed Forces, in coordination with other troops, launched an attack on the Saratov refinery in Saratov Oblast, Russia. The attack caused an explosion and fire in the factory. On August 24, Ukrainian military forces and the General Intelligence Service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense jointly attacked an oil refinery in Samara, Russia in the early morning of the same day. In the early morning of August 28, Ukraine Defense Force forces once again launched a strike on important facilities in Russia, targeting the Afipsky refinery in the Oblast Krai, the Kubyshev refinery in Samara Oblast, and Russia's ammunition depots and logistics facilities.

According to statistics, in August, Ukraine attacked Russian oil infrastructure at least 13 times. Parts of Russia are facing severe fuel shortages amid continued Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, with gas stations running out of fuel in some areas.

Meanwhile, Russian oil prices rose sharply. The wholesale price of A-95 gasoline on the St. Petersburg International Commodity Exchange surged last week, hitting a record high, about 50% higher than the January average. In the Primorye, the price of oil in the secondary market has soared to nearly $10 a gallon, far beyond the affordability of many households.

In order to ease fuel shortages and stabilize the domestic market, Russia announced on Wednesday that it would extend the suspension of gasoline exports from July 28 to October 31, while it plans to lift restrictions on producers from October 1.

After Ukraine attacked Russia many times, Russia also launched a counterattack. In the early hours of Thursday, Russia launched an attack on Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, killing at least 12 people.

German chancellor merz zlt

Since then, European leaders have publicly questioned Mr. Trump's ability to broker peace talks with Ukraine. "There will be no direct talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky, even if the Trump administration continues to push for a peace agreement," Chancellor Merz of Germany told reporters on Thursday before a dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

While European leaders have privately expressed doubts about whether Trump and Putin's push for peace process will be successful, Mr. Murts' comment on Thursday is one of the strongest doubts European leaders have publicly expressed so far.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump is not concerned about Russia¡¯s nighttime shelling ¡ª the largest since Russia¡¯s meeting with U.S. and Russian leaders two weeks ago.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was "not happy with this move, but not surprised" and reiterated Trump's desire to stop the bloodshed, while blaming the two countries for the lack of progress in the negotiations. "The two countries have been at war for a long time, Russia has launched an attack on Kyiv, and similarly, Ukraine has recently hit Russian oil refineries."