U.S. pledges more military aid to Ukraine, peace seems far off

There have been no breakthroughs on the front lines since Russian forces seized the last two Ukrainian-held cities

The United States promised more military support for Ukraine, including drones, and is considering whether to send fighter aircraft, as Russian forces relentlessly shelled towns and cities in the east with the war about to enter its sixth month, Qazet.az reports.

Moscow and Kyiv signed a landmark deal on Friday that raised hopes of unblocking vast grain exports from Black Sea ports. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed that accord, but with heavy fighting continuing on several fronts, he said there could be no ceasefire unless lost territory was retaken.

"Freezing the conflict with the Russian Federation means a pause that gives the Russian Federation a break for rest," he told the Wall Street Journal.

"Society believes that all the territories must be liberated first, and then we can negotiate about what to do and how we could live in the centuries ahead."

There have been no breakthroughs on the front lines since Russian forces seized the last two Ukrainian-held cities in the eastern province of Luhansk in late June and early July.