Representatives of Ukraine and Benelux countries in Odesa condemned Russia's aggression and reaffirmed support for Ukraine's sovereignty. They emphasized the need to end the war and restore peace.
In August, four new Ukrainian-language audio guides appeared in museums in Amsterdam, Portugal, Hungary, and Berlin. This became part of First Lady Olena Zelenska's project to Ukrainize world landmarks.
American giant Keurig Dr Pepper will acquire Dutch company JDE Peet's, known for the Jacobs coffee brand, for $18 billion. This acquisition aims to create a global coffee giant that will compete with market leader Nestlé.
Serhiy Leshchenko, advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office, commented on the statement by US Vice President J. D. Vance about the possible end of the war in six months. Leshchenko emphasized that without a ceasefire and stabilization at the front, it is impossible to predict timelines, as the situation is constantly changing.
Dozens of heads of state and government, including the US and China, sent congratulations to Ukraine on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of Independence. President Zelenskyy thanked for the support in the fight against Russian aggression.
The Dutch parliament voted against recognizing an independent Palestinian state and imposing sanctions on Israel. This happened against the backdrop of the resignation of Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who advocated for tougher measures.
Ukraine, the USA, and European partners are working on the architecture of security guarantees for Ukraine. All developments will be ready in the coming days, President Zelenskyy announced.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a conversation with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof. The parties discussed the need for pressure on Moscow, security guarantees, and joint projects.
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Caspar Veldkamp, has announced his resignation. This happened due to disagreements regarding additional measures against Israel.
The Netherlands is sending two Patriot systems and 300 troops to Poland to guard a NATO logistics hub that supports Ukraine. This deployment of multi-layered air defense is intended to protect NATO and deter Russian aggression.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will appear at the White House on August 18 in the black jacket he wore at the NATO summit. This will be a "suit style" without a tie, which is a change from his usual casual attire.
Several attempts at illegal movement of goods were stopped at the Ukrainian-Polish border. Among the seized items were electronic cigarettes, Apple AirPods headphones, old coins, cosmetics, alcohol, coffee, and narcotic drugs.
The Clinical Diagnostics laboratory from the Netherlands paid a ransom to cybercriminals for stolen data of 485,000 female patients. Hackers published 100 megabytes of data, but possess 300 gigabytes of information.
Two fraudsters demanded 5. 6 million UAH for changing the article for a suspect in drug smuggling. They were detained while receiving the funds.
The NATO PURL initiative, which allows member countries to purchase weapons for Ukraine, has raised $1. 5 billion. The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany have already made their contributions.
In the north of the Netherlands, a hot air balloon made a hard landing, as a result of which one person died and five were injured. The incident occurred due to an unexpected gust of wind, which caused passengers to fall out.
Germany will allocate $500 million for military equipment and ammunition for Ukraine as part of the new NATO PURL initiative. This aid will be supplied by the United States.
Keir Starmer held a conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof. The parties discussed support for Ukraine and agreed that "no decisions about Ukraine's future should be made without Ukraine's participation."
Poland signed a $3. 8 billion agreement with the US to modernize 48 F-16 fighter jets. This will enhance the aircraft's compatibility with NATO and strengthen deterrence against potential aggression.
President Zelenskyy held a conversation with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof. He thanked him for his clear position on not making decisions without Ukraine's participation and discussed future contacts.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced new sanctions against 18 individuals and 17 legal entities associated with the activities of "Rosatom". The restrictions apply to those involved in the integration of the ZNPP into the Russian energy system and the capture of the ChNPP.
The leader of the Dutch far-right Party for Freedom, Geert Wilders, caused a scandal by publishing an ageist post. Over 2,500 complaints have been received by the national anti-discrimination center.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs discussed a new instrument for supplying weapons to Ukraine, PURL, which Latvia is ready to join. Ukraine's European integration path and the need to open a negotiation cluster were also discussed.
The US and NATO have introduced the PURL mechanism to accelerate the supply of critically important American weapons to Ukraine. The initiative is funded by European members of the Alliance and Canada, providing for regular aid packages worth about 500 million dollars each.
On August 2-3, Ukrainians held rallies in European cities, calling for increased international aid to protect against Russian air attacks. Participants demanded accelerated transfer of air defense systems and condemned Russian propaganda.
Sweden, Denmark, and Norway are allocating $486 million for the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine. This will increase the potential for protecting lives and serves as an example for other NATO countries.
An international coalition, led by Canada and Ukraine, called on Russia to unconditionally return abducted Ukrainian children. 38 countries, the Council of Europe, and the EU signed a joint statement, emphasizing the violation of international law.
Sweden will contribute $275 million to the American initiative for selling defense equipment to Ukraine. This contribution is coordinated by NATO and includes missiles for Patriot, anti-tank weapons, and ammunition.
The Netherlands fully finances the first military aid package to Ukraine worth $500 million as part of NATO's new PURL initiative. Other Alliance countries will provide similar aid packages on a regular basis.
The USA and NATO are initiating a new PURL mechanism for the rapid supply of weapons to Ukraine. It provides for the financing of American arms supplies through voluntary contributions from member countries.
