Former Vice President Mike Pence implored President Trump to dramatically ratchet up pressure against Russian strongman Vladimir Putin to cut a peace deal with Ukraine and accused the Kremlin tyrant of successfully managing to "delay the game.

"The Black Sea will define the future of the European security order for generations to come," write Galip Dalay and Natalie Sabanadze.

Russia is refusing to commit to a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which President Trump has encouraged as a next step toward ending the war between their two countries.

Senator Mike Rounds expressed confidence in President Trump’s situational awareness while weighing in on peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

President Trump had suggested a meeting between Russia and Ukraine’s leaders could be a potential next step on the path to peace. Russian state news media barely mentioned the idea.

Bianna Golodryga speaks to Former Russian foreign minister, Andrei Kozyrev about whether Putin is genuine about pursuing any form of peace in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked First Lady Melania Trump for writing a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin in which she advocated for the safety of children impacted by war. NBC News’ Monica Alba details how the first lady is influencing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Last month was the deadliest since Putin launched his full-scale war on Ukraine three and a half years ago. In July alone, 286 civilians were killed and another 1,388, according to official data.