Ukraine war latest: Putin, Trump to meet in coming days, Moscow says as US sanctions deadline draws near
Key developments on Aug. 7:
- Putin, Trump to meet in coming days, Moscow says as US sanctions deadline draws near
- Trump reportedly tells European allies, Zelensky that Putin open to land-swap talks
- Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, military confirms
- Inflicting "serious losses," Ukraine strikes Russian radar systems, landing craft in Crimea, intelligence claims
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to meet in the coming days, Russian foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Aug. 7.
Preparations for the meeting are underway, while the venue has already been agreed upon, Ushakov added, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
This would mark the first meeting between the presidents since Trump took office on Jan. 20.
"At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was reached in principle to hold a bilateral summit meeting in the coming days," Ushakov said.
"The target date was set for next week, but the parties are already starting to prepare for this important meeting, and it is difficult to say how many days the preparation will take."
Talking to journalists, Putin later claimed that both the U.S. and Russia showed interest in the meeting and named the United Arab Emirates as a possible venue.
"We have many friends who are ready to help us organize an event of this kind. One of those friends is the president (Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan) of the United Arab Emirates," Putin said alongside the Emirati leader, who is on an official visit to Moscow.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, said on Aug. 7 that a potential Trump-Putin meeting could strengthen economic cooperation between Washington and Moscow and encourage the development of joint investment projects.
In the meantime, the New York Post reported on Aug. 7, citing unnamed White House officials, that Trump may only meet Putin if the latter also meets with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"No location has been set," the source added.
The comments follow a meeting between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on Aug. 6, just two days before Trump's deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The New York Times reported that Trump is preparing not only for a one-on-one with Putin, but also for a potential trilateral meeting with Zelensky shortly afterward.
Ushakov claimed that Witkoff "raised the idea of a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump, and Zelensky," though Moscow has yet to formally comment on the proposal.
Asked about the possibility of meeting Zelensky, Putin said: "I’ve said many times already, I don’t have anything against it in general — it's possible. But certain conditions must be created for that. And unfortunately, we’re still far from creating those conditions."
Zelensky stressed on Aug. 7 that a meeting at the level of leaders is a crucial step toward "truly lasting peace." He also confirmed discussions about both a bilateral and trilateral summit among the leaders as part of efforts to end the war.
"We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders," Zelensky said on X.
"It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed."
Later in his evening address, Zelensky announced that on Aug. 7, security advisors from Ukraine, several European countries, and U.S. special envoy Witkoff will hold talks.
Axios reported, citing two undisclosed sources, that Witkoff will brief Ukraine and NATO allies on the results of his meeting with Putin. Senior officials from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and Finland are expected to join the virtual meeting.
Trump reportedly tells European allies, Zelensky that Putin open to land-swap talks
U.S. President Donald Trump told European leaders and President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to negotiations if land swaps are included in the talks, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 7, citing its undisclosed sources.
According to the New York Times, the call involved Zelensky, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump was optimistic about the chance of a ceasefire and said Putin would be willing to engage in peace talks, which include discussing territory Russia claims to control.
What is meant by "land swaps" was not specified, though it possibly referred to Crimea — illegally annexed in 2014 — and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Russia declared the annexation of the latter four regions, which are partially occupied by Russia, in 2022 following sham referenda.
Putin has publicly demanded that Ukraine forgo NATO membership and withdraw troops from all four regions as preconditions for peace. Under this condition, several large cities under Ukrainian control would have to be handed over to Russia.
Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, military confirms
Ukrainian drones successfully struck and damaged the Afipskiy oil refinery in southwestern Russia, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Aug. 7 amid reported drone attacks across the country.
"As a result of the drone strike, a fire broke out at a technical unit for processing gas and gas condensate," the military said on Telegram.
The confirmation follows reporting by Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels that drones struck the refinery in Krasnodar Krai and other targets in a mass overnight attack.
The refinery, located roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the front line, serves as a strategic logistics hub for diesel fuel and aviation kerosene used by Russian troops.
The refinery is also key to Russia's economic might, processing 6.25 million tons of oil annually, or 2.1% of Russia's entire oil refining output, the General Staff said.
The refinery has been targeted multiple times since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Local residents reported hearing explosions throughout the night amid the threat of drone attacks on the region. Videos shared on social media purportedly show a large fire burning in the area of the refinery.
"The operation was carried out by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) and Unmanned Systems Forces," the General Staff said.
"Ukrainian forces attacked a number of other important facilities. The consequences of the operations are being determined."
Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev claimed that in the nearby community of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, a man was injured as a result of falling drone debris. Kondratyev did not mention an attack on the refinery.
A military facility in Slavyansk-on-Kuban was on fire following the drone attack, independent news outlet Astra reported, citing local residents.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Russian coastal defenses were also fighting off a naval drone attack at Novorossiysk, a coastal city 60 kilometers (35 miles) south of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, Mayor Andrey Kravchenko said.
The port city became the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet last year after a Ukrainian missile and drone campaign forced Moscow to withdraw most of its naval assets from occupied Crimea.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that a total of 82 drones were shot down over various Russian regions overnight. Ukrainian drones allegedly also targeted railway infrastructure in Volgograd Oblast, according to local authorities.
Inflicting 'serious losses,' Ukraine strikes Russian radar systems, landing craft in Crimea, intelligence claims
Drones operated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) struck multiple high-value Russian military targets in occupied Crimea, including a fast assault landing craft and three radar stations, the agency reported on Aug. 7.
Among the targets hit was a Project 02510 BK-16 vessel, a high-speed landing craft for coastal operations and troop transport. The drone strike reportedly caused fire damage to the ship.
The attack also destroyed or damaged several radar installations essential to Russia's air defense system on the peninsula.
These included the Nebo-SVU, a long-range radar capable of detecting aircraft and ballistic missiles; the Podlet-K1, which identifies low-flying targets; and the 96L6E, a mobile air surveillance radar.
"After serious losses of air defense facilities on the peninsula... Russian occupiers in Crimea have begun hiding their expensive military facilities in dome structures," the agency added.
One such dome, located at the Ai-Petri peak, was reportedly targeted in the strike. Ukrainian forces claim it housed equipment belonging to the 3rd Radio Technical Regiment of Russia's air defense forces.
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