KRAMATORSK, UKRAINE – AUGUST 6: An aerial view as rescuers from Ukraine’s Emergency Services search through the rubble of a building bombed by Russian forces on July 31, in an effort to recover the remains of victims on August 6, 2025 in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
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Dispatches from Ukraine: Day 1,261
Potential Meeting Between Trump and Putin
On August 6, President Donald Trump announced he may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon.” The statement followed a three-hour meeting in Moscow between Putin and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, focused on the war in Ukraine and U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations.
Trump told reporters at the White House that while the talks between Putin and Witkoff were not a “breakthrough,” “a lot of progress” had been made. He also mentioned that a summit with Putin could take place as early as next week, but noted logistical difficulties in organizing the meeting.
According to media reports, the White House is considering a two-stage diplomatic process: first, a bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin, followed by a trilateral summit including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At the same time, the White House says Trump is “open” to meeting Putin without meeting Zelenskyy.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the meeting location had been agreed upon and would be announced later. He mentioned that the United Arab Emirates was under consideration. Ushakov also said that negotiations involving President Zelenskyy were not being prepared.
If held, this would be the first in-person meeting between a U.S. and Russian president since the June 2021 summit in Geneva between President Joe Biden and President Putin.
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the developments with caution. On August 6, he held a phone call with Trump and several European leaders, during which Trump briefed them on Witkoff’s discussions in Moscow. Following the call, Zelenskyy posted on social media, urging Putin to agree to a trilateral meeting, stating that “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings” and calling on Russia to show a similarly “brave approach.”
On August 7, Zelenskyy held further discussions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron to coordinate a European position on potential high-level talks.
Ukrainian media circulated an article from Onet, a Polish news outlet, claiming that the Trump administration presented a proposal in Moscow that included a ceasefire, but not a complete peace agreement. The report, citing unnamed sources, stated the plan involved a long-term freeze of the conflict, delaying resolution on Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories for 49 or 99 years, essentially giving Russia part of Ukrainian territories.
The article also claimed that the proposal included lifting most Western sanctions on Russia and restoring energy cooperation, including imports of Russian oil and gas. According to the same report, the proposal did not include any guarantees on halting NATO expansion, which the Kremlin has previously demanded.
Russian attacks on Ukraine
Between August 4 and 7, Russian daytime strikes killed at least 32 civilians and injured 115 others in Ukrainian-controlled territories. The most intense attacks occurred in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, where 17 people lost their lives, with 42 others wounded. In the eastern Donetsk, northeastern Kharkiv, and southern Kherson regions, Russian shelling killed three people in each province, injuring 50 others in total. In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, at least four people were killed and 17 others wounded, while in the northeastern Sumy region, Russian strikes murdered two residents and injured three others.
By Danylo Nosov, Alan Sacks