Poland's Tusk says Russia-Ukraine war could be frozen 'sooner rather than later'
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Aug. 8 that a pause in the Russia-Ukraine war could happen soon, after holding a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"There are certain signals... that perhaps a freezing of the conflict – I don’t want to say the end of the war, but a freezing of the conflict – could happen sooner rather than later," Tusk told journalists at a news conference, according to the Guardian.
The comments come before an expected high-stakes summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week, part of Washington's efforts to hammer out a peace deal in Ukraine.
"There is hope for this. Today is the deadline for the ultimatum. President Zelensky is very cautious, but still optimistic," Tusk said.
In July, Trump set a 50-day deadline for Putin to end hostilities or face 100% secondary tariffs. As trade between the U.S. and Russia is limited, the measure would effectively target countries purchasing Russian oil, such as China or India.
Trump eventually shortened the deadline as he increasingly voiced frustration with Russian aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities and Moscow's delays in the peace process, giving Putin until Aug. 8 to end the war.
U.S.-Russian diplomatic efforts gained fresh momentum this week after Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, met Putin in Moscow on Aug. 6, reaching an agreement on a summit between the U.S. and Russian leaders.
Trump is also reportedly aiming to follow up the meeting with a trilateral summit involving President Volodymyr Zelensky. While the Ukrainian president signaled he is ready for such a format, Putin claimed he does not oppose the meeting in principle, but added that certain "conditions" must first be met.
After his phone call with Tusk on Aug. 8, Zelensky said he informed the Polish prime minister about his previous conversations with Trump and other European leaders.
"Ukraine, Poland, and other European nations alike need strong foundations for their security and independence," Zelensky said on X.
"A reliable peace is essential for all, and I am grateful for the readiness to help along this path."
The call between Tusk and Zelensky followed the Ukrainian president's earlier discussions with other European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that Europe must be part of the peace process, as worries grow that Kyiv's European partners might be sidelined in U.S.-Russia talks.
