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.

Bridget Brink, US Ambassador to Ukraine, has condemned the Russian missile attack on Chernihiv on 19 August, saying such attacks reflect the depths to which Russia has sunk.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has said the special international tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine should prosecute about 20 representatives of the Russian political and military leadership.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, has said that Kyiv does not feel pressure from the West regarding the pace of liberation of Ukrainian territories, and it does not matter how long it takes if the people support the goal of complete de-occupation.

The Swedish parliament, Riksdag, has greenlighted a new assistance package to Ukraine amounting to SEK 3.25 billion (roughly 270 million euros).

The German government has reported on the next tranche of military aid to Ukraine, which included, in particular, two IRIS-T launchers.

The White House has said that the United States, together with its European allies, is currently working to ensure that the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets begins as soon as possible.

The Commission has decided to transfer €135 million originally planned for 2021-2027 Interreg NEXT programmes with Russia and Belarus, to other Interreg programmes with Ukraine and Moldova.

The US Department of State has reported that Russia is determined to increase military cooperation with North Korea.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Congress to approve the request by Joe Biden’s Presidential Administration for additional funding for Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France has condemned the recent series of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities on Tuesday night, killing at least four people.

The Rheinmetall German concern has confirmed its plans to supply Ukraine with the most advanced reconnaissance drones Luna NG.