Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that a real opportunity for peace in Russia’s war against Ukraine has emerged, according to his office’s statement following a phone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

During the call, Zelenskyy briefed the Crown Prince on ongoing partner contacts and diplomatic efforts to end the war.

“Communication with leaders continues practically around the clock, we are in constant contact. Now is the moment when there is a real chance to achieve peace. But peace must be honest and sustainable, and security must be guaranteed. This is important not only for Ukraine – for every European country,” the president said.

The Ukrainian leader said that he and Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud share the same view regarding the dangers of any decisions made without Ukraine and Europe. Zelenskyy thanked the Crown Prince for his clear support of this position and readiness to make efforts for peace.

Both sides agreed that their countries’ teams would coordinate all necessary efforts. The leaders also discussed joint projects that would strengthen both nations, the president added.

The diplomatic outreach comes amid significant developments in peace negotiations. On 9 August, Donald Trump announced he had arranged a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska for 15 August, confirming that the United States is considering “territorial exchanges” between Ukraine and Russia as part of this process “for the benefit of both sides.”

Zelenskyy responded that Ukraine would not gift its land to the Russian forces, saying that the answer to Ukraine’s territorial question already exists in Ukraine’s Constitution. He did not comment on his possible participation in the Trump-Putin meeting.

On 10 August, European leaders published a joint statement noting that the current line of contact should become the starting point for peace negotiations.

Russia's crude oil production in June fell below its agreed-upon OPEC+ target, according to individuals familiar with the data interviwed by Bloomberg.

Russian producers reportedly pumped 9.022 million barrels per day last month, a figure 28,000 barrels per day below the required level, including compensation cuts. This marks the largest gap between Russia's output and its monthly quota this year, based on Bloomberg's calculations.

Historically, Russia, which co-leads the OPEC+ alliance with Saudi Arabia, has faced criticism for poor compliance with production quotas. However, the nation has shown improved adherence for most of 2025, often pumping below its required levels, according to analysis of Russian data. This increased focus on production discipline follows earlier critiques from Riyadh.

Under the terms of the OPEC+ agreement, Russia's daily production quota for June had increased by 78,000 barrels to 9.161 million barrels. However, Moscow had also committed to a 111,000 barrel-a-day compensation cut for the month, bringing its actual output target to 9.050 million barrels per day.

On July 5, eight OPEC+ nations collectively agreed to raise production by 548,000 barrels per day in August, aiming to capitalize on strong summer consumption. Analysts suggest these additional barrels may be quickly absorbed but could contribute to a crude surplus later in the year.

Independent verification of Russia's oil output data has become challenging since Moscow classified official figures after Western sanctions targeting the nation's energy industry following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Consequently, market watchers now largely rely on indicators such as seaborne exports and domestic refinery runs to track trends in Russia's oil production.

Russia striking NATO while China invades Taiwan ‘plausible’ scenario, experts say

If Beijing moves against Taiwan, NATO might soon find itself in a two-front war with China and Russia — or so the alliance’s secretary general believes. “If Xi Jinping would attack Taiwan, he would first make sure that he makes a call to his very junior partner in all of this, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin… and telling him, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this, and I need you to to keep them busy in Europe by attacking NATO territory,’” Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a July 5 interview with the New

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek