US and Russian officials are already working on the details of the meeting, with a venue already chosen for the summit.

By John Varga, World News Reporter

12:42, Thu, Aug 7, 2025 Updated: 13:36, Thu, Aug 7, 2025

Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky split picturelive

Vladimir Putin could soon meet Volodymyr Zelensky face-to-face (Image: Getty)

Vladimir Putin said he is prepared to meet Volodymyr Zelensky face-to-face, as the two sides attempt to thrash out a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war. Earlier, a Kremlin aide poured cold water on a possible summit between the two warring leaders, confirming only that a bi-lateral meeting between Putin and Donald Trump was being arranged.

However, the Russian President told reporters: "I have already said many times that I have nothing against it in general, it is possible." The Kremlin boss, though, insisted that various conditions had to be met first and that there was still some way to go before a meeting could take place. Putin added that interest in the US-Russia summit was "mutual" and that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the suitable places to hold a meeting. The US President only agreed to the US-Russia summit on condition that Putin would hold direct talks with Zelesnky.

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58 mins ago12:42 John Varga

Zelensky says trilateral meeting discussed

Volodymyr Zelensky reported that several possible formats of meetings at the level of leaders are currently being discussed: two bilateral and one trilateral.

Zelensky held a conversation with German Chancellor Merz - they coordinated positions, agreed to talk further. Security advisors will hold an online meeting today to agree on common views - Ukraine, Europe, the United States.

"Also, yesterday, various potential formats of meetings for peace at the level of leaders in the near future were discussed: two bilateral formats, one trilateral. Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war," the president noted.

Volodymyr Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with German Chancellor Merz (Image: Getty)

2 hours ago12:09 John Varga

Putin willing to do peace deal in exchange for land - reports

Accoprding to Bloomberg, US President Trump reportedly suggested to allies on August 6 that Putin would be "open to entering into peace talks in exchange for discussing land swaps".

The two leaders are set to hold a summit in the coming days.

USA

Donald Trump is hoping to persuade Putin to end the war (Image: Getty)

3 hours ago11:10 John Varga

Major Russian oil refinery hit in drone strike

A major Russian oil refinery was reportedly hit in a drone attack on Thursday.

The Afipskiy refinery processes 6.25 million tonnes of oil annually.

It has been repeatedly targeted since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Loud explosions were heared at the depot. Images later showed a huge blaze burning out of control.

Russia

The Afipskiy refinery burns after a drone attack (Image: X social media)

3 hours ago10:33 John Varga

Majority of Ukrainians favour negotiated end to war

A Gallup poll shows that a majority of Ukrainians are in favour of a negotiated end to the war.

69% of respondents say their country should seek to negotiate a settlement as soon as possible.

However most Ukrainians do not expect a lasting peace anytime soon.

Only about one quarter say it's "very" or "somewhat" likely that active fighting will end within the next 12 months.

Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky is facing growing public pressure to end the war (Image: Getty)

3 hours ago10:12 John Varga

Crimea under attack

Ukrainian Storm Shadow cruise missile strikes have been reported in occupied Crimea.

The targets may have been Russian military radars.

Kyiv's army has continually targeted army installments and bases on the peninsula.

Crimea

Crimea came under Ukrainian attack (Image: X social media)

4 hours ago10:09 John Varga

Furious Putin launches fresh strike on Ukraine

Russia intensified its brutal bombing of Ukraine- hours after Donald Trump's special envoy met with Vladimir Putin. The attack also comes after the US President suggested he could meet with the Kremlin boss as early as next week.

Putin's forces launched a massive aerial assault on a key bridge in Kherson, but failed to destroy it. The Ukrainian city has come under repeated attack by the Kremlin's army, since it was liberated in November 2022. Russian military bloggers claim sabotage groups aim to retake the southern city, which is close to the frontline.

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4 hours ago10:04 John Varga

Ukraine must cease to exist as a state - Putin adviser

A senior advisor to Vladimir Putin on ethnic affairs said Ukraine must cease to exist as a state.

Bogdan Bezpalko told state TV: "We want Ukraine to stop existing as a state.

"We want its people gone - let’s say into emigration… or somewhere far away. That’s our goal.”

Russia

Bogdan Bezpalko is a Putin advisor (Image: X social media)

4 hours ago09:49 John Varga

Zelensky to hold talks with EU leaders

Volodymyr Zelensky says he plans to talk to the leaders of Germany, France and Italy today to discuss progress towards peace.

He said he planned to discuss a ceasefire, a leaders' summit and long-term security.

Today is a day of numerous calls and contacts aimed at making real progress on the path to peace and ensuring Ukraine\u2019s independence under any circumstances.

Several conversations are planned for today. A call with German Chancellor Merz is already on the schedule. We\u2019ll also be\u2026

\u2014 Volodymyr Zelenskyy / \u0412\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440 \u0417\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439 (@ZelenskyyUa) August 7, 2025

4 hours ago09:28 John Varga

Trump and Putin set for summit

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to hold a face-to-face meeting in the coming days, according to the Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. US and Russian officials are working on the details, with a venue already chosen for the summit.

Ushakov noted that Trump's Russia envoy had originally floated the idea of a trilateral meeting that would have included Volodymyr Zelenky. However, the aide only confirmed a bi-lateral meeting between the US and Russian presidents. He told the Russian news agency IFAX: "At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was agreed in principle to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days, that is, a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump."