The Austrian and Ukrainian Foreign Ministers have jointly explained why Austria's neutrality is not an obstacle to its clear position on Russia's war against Ukraine and why a "quick truce" with the Kremlin is impossible.

The Dutch Minister of Defence, Kajsa Ollongren, has stated that as long as Ukraine is using the provided weaponry for self-defence, it has the right to use it as effectively as it can.

Yan Petrovsky, one of the leaders of the Rusich paramilitary group and who is under EU and US sanctions for participating in the war against Ukraine, has been arrested in Finland.

THe minister of Defence of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren, believes that if Russia is not stopped now, it will not stop in Ukraine and will pose a direct threat to the EU and NATO.

The Netherlands will hand over all its F-16 fighters to the Ukrainian Armed Forces but retain a few for training Ukrainian pilots.

The Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren, considers the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine within six to eight months realistic, as several prerequisites need to be fulfilled before that.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, had a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Joe Biden on the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day, during which the two leaders discussed the supply of F-16 fighters and bringing Russia to justice.

Mercenaries from the Wagner Group are no longer a factor in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Portugal has confirmed its readiness to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.

The Norwegian government has made the decision to send anti-aircraft missiles for Ukraine's air defence system, IRIS-T.

Russia is capable of waging war in Ukraine indefinitely, so it is rather challenging to predict whether it is possible for Ukraine to recover its full sovereignty with the means at its disposal, said General Robert Brieger, Chairman of the EU Military Affairs Committee.

The buildings of the European Commission, the European Council, and the European Parliament in Brussels have been lit up in blue and yellow colours on the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made a statement, congratulating Ukraine on Independence Day.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has stated that the launcher systems for the NASAMS air defence system, purchased by Lithuania, will arrive in Ukraine in September.

Finland will soon approve the 18th aid package for Ukraine.

Members of parliaments from 14 countries and the European Parliament will visit Ukraine on Wednesday, 23 August, and Thursday, 24 August.

Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, has defended the German government's thorough examination of the requested supply of Taurus cruise missiles by Ukraine.

The human rights organisation Pro Asyl, which supports asylum seekers in Germany, has urged the European Union to extend the directive on temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, which is set to expire in March 2024.

The leaders of 11 countries of southeastern Europe signed the Athens Declaration in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine during a summit on the Balkans.

The German government has not yet decided whether it will send long-range cruise missiles Taurus to Ukraine, as requested by Kyiv.

Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, Danish Minister of Defence, has criticised the Russian Ambassador to Copenhagen, Vladimir Barbin, who referred to sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as an escalation of the conflict.

The Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, stated that his country itself requires Gripen fighter jets, noting that there are no plans for sending them to Ukraine at the moment.

Dutch far-left and right-wing parties have criticised Mark Rutte, Prime Minister, for bypassing parliament and announcing on Sunday his intention to provide Ukraine with the F-16 fighter jets.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has addressed the members of the Danish Folketing [parliament – ed.], thanking them for their assistance and assuring them that Ukraine would withstand the fight against Russia thanks to their support.

The Republic of Kosovo has joined the declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine, adopted by the G7 on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius.

About 30 servicemen from the Armed Forces of Ireland will conduct armed training of the Ukrainian military as part of a large European group of instructors within the framework of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy mission. 

The French Foreign Ministry has condemned the Russian missile strike on the centre of Chernihiv, which killed seven people and injured almost 130. The ministry says that the international law considers deliberate shelling of civilian targets a war crime.