Vladimir Putin says he has nothing against meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy – but also hinted such talks are still “far” from happening. It had been reported the US made Zelenskyy’s involvement in a Trump-Putin summit – which could happen next week – a condition of it going ahead. Follow live.
Thursday 7 August 2025 16:15, UK
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UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones) have become a critical weapon for both sides during the war, reshaping modern combat due to their versatility, affordability and tactical advantages.
To that end, Russia has said it hopes to soon be able to launch 1,000 drones during a single attack on Ukraine.
In these pictures, soldiers fighting in Donetsk prepare drones of their own to launch at Russian positions.
One of yesterday’s many notable developments was Donald Trump’s decision to raise tariffs on India over its imports of Russian oil.
New Delhi described that move as unfair, but Trump has so far not budged.
While relations there hit the rocks for now, Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India at the end of this year.
That’s what Interfax news agency reports, quoting India’s national security adviser Ajit Doval.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been on the phone with Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Commission president shared a brief update on social media about their conversation, during which they discussed “Ukraine’s future membership”.
Here’s what she had to say:
We discussed the next steps on the way towards a negotiated peace agreement and Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union as well as its reconstruction.
Europe’s position is clear. We fully support Ukraine. We will continue to play an active role to guarantee a just and lasting peace.
By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent
At this stage, the most likely location for the Trump-Putin meeting is the United Arab Emirates.
Vladimir Putin met the country’s president in the Kremlin today, and afterwards said it would be a “suitable location”.
It felt like a strong hint.
And the UAE certainly makes sense.
It’s played mediator for a number of the prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine; it has good relations with the US (and was one of Trump’s stops on his recent Middle East tour); and most importantly for Moscow, it’s not a member of the International Criminal Court.
So, Vladimir Putin doesn’t have to worry about being arrested.
We brought you comments earlier from Vladimir Putin on the prospect of meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy (see post at 1.04pm).
This is one of the conditions Donald Trump has given in order to meet Putin.
In response, the Russian leader said he had “nothing against it in general”.
But he went on to say “certain conditions must be created for this”.
“But unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions,” he said.
You can watch Putin’s comments on this here…
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited troops near the frontline in northeastern Ukraine’s Sumy region.
The area borders Russia and fighting in the region remains intense.
Russian forces are actively targeting the region and surrounding areas with missiles and drones.
Further to reports we brought you earlier of a fire at an oil refinery in Russia (see post at 8.11am), Ukraine has now said it was behind it.
The blaze at the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region was apparently started by fallen drone debris, local emergency services said.
Now, the Ukrainian military has confirmed its drone units hit the oil refinery, sparking flames in gas processing equipment.
Here’s a look at the latest battlefield maps in Ukraine.
Scroll through the maps below to view different parts of Ukraine, including the situation in key regions such as, Donetsk, Luhansk and Kursk.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready for a ceasefire but Russia has given “no clear public response”.
In a post on X, the Ukrainian leader said he had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron today about “coordinating our positions” and to share Kyiv’s perspective on his call the previous day with Donald Trump.
He also spoke about a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
“We remain mindful of the need for a real ceasefire. Ukraine is ready for it, and there has been no clear public response from Russia yet,” he said.
Here is Zelenskyy’s full statement…
Vladimir Putin has said he has “nothing against meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy”.
In response to a possible meeting between himself and Donald Trump, he has said 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 location of a Putin-Trump summit is still unclear, though. The Russian president said he had “many friends” ready to help organise such a meeting. And it’s possible he only mentioned the UAE as he’s hosting the country’s president in Moscow today.
Putin’s travel options are limited by the international arrest warrant issued for him, over the alleged removal of children from Ukraine to Russia during the war (see previous post).
Putin: ‘We are still far’ from Zelenskyy meeting
On the prospect of meeting Zelenskyy, which is one of the conditions Trump has given in order to meet Putin, the Russian leader added: “I have already said many times that I have nothing against it in general, it is possible.”
However, he still distanced himself from any such meeting happening soon, adding: “But certain conditions must be created for this. But unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions.”
It should be noted that an offer to speak with Zelenskyy was laid on the table by the Ukrainian leader in May this year.
He challenged Putin to meet him in Istanbul for talks over ending the war – the Russian leader did not accept the request.
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