Ukraine updates: Putin rules out Zelenskyy meeting for now

US President Donald Trump said he could meet  Russian President Vladimir Putin regardless of whether his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, takes part in the talks. 

"They would like to meet with me, and I will do whatever I can to stop the killing," Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that some 20,000 people are getting killed per week as a result of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Regarding the threat of sanctions against Russia, which — according to a deadline set by Trump — would come into force Friday, the US leader said it's up to Putin.

"We're going to see what he has to say," Trump said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to review recent developments and coordinate next steps.

"We discussed the next steps on the way toward a negotiated peace agreement and Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union as well as its reconstruction," von der Leyen said in a post on X.

"Europe’s position is clear. We fully support Ukraine. We will continue to play an active role to guarantee a just and lasting peace."

The call followed Zelenskyy's conversations a day earlier with US President Donald Trump and several European leaders. 

A demonstrably made-up story of British military officers being "captured" during a Russian raid in Ukraine has spread online this week, even being repeated by former British lawmakers.

Read the full story on the faked images used to allege the capture of British soldiers by Russia in Ukraine.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has said that a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is still not on the table, despite growing international pressure for direct talks.

"I have nothing against it in general, it is possible," Putin told reporters in Moscow on Thursday. "But certain conditions must be created for this. Unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions."

His comments came just hours after Zelenskyy again called for a face-to-face meeting to help end the war. Putin reiterated his earlier position from June that such a meeting could only take place in the "final phase" of negotiations — a stage Moscow does not believe has been reached.

Putin also spoke of a potential meeting with US President Donald Trump, naming the United Arab Emirates as a possible suitable place for the meeting. Trump has said the meeting could take place "very soon."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has spoken by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying Europe must play a central role in peace efforts.

According to a German government spokesperson, Merz and Zelenskyy agreed that "Russia must end its illegal war of aggression" and praised recent mediation efforts by the US president. The two leaders pledged to remain in close coordination with European partners and Washington.

Following the call, Zelenskyy emphasized that "Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes," arguing that Ukraine's status as part of Europe and its ongoing EU accession talks require its voice to be heard in any serious negotiation.

The conversation came just hours after the Kremlin said preparations for a Trump-Putin meeting were underway, with the summit potentially taking place in the coming days.

Zelenskyy also reiterated his willingness to meet directly with Putin and urged Moscow to show the same openness.

The Ukrainian military has said its drone units hit the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region overnight, sparking a fire in gas processing equipment.

Russian emergency services claimed that fallen drone debris caused the blaze, which was later extinguished.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported that air defense systems shot down nine Ukrainian drones over the region during the night.

The extent of the damage at the Afipsky refinery remains unclear. Together with the nearby Krasnodar refinery, the plant processed 7.2 million metric tons of crude in 2024.

Market sources said the incident may reduce refinery throughput, potentially increasing Russia's crude exports in August. The Kremlin is planning to boost shipments from western ports to around 2 million barrels per day — up 200,000 barrels from earlier estimates — after drone attacks forced other refineries to cut operations.

Earlier this month, Ukraine targeted the Ryazan and Novokuibyshevsk refineries, both run by Rosneft. Crude distillation units were shut down after the attacks on August 2, and repairs are expected to take about a month.

The Kremlin says US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet, with preparations for a summit now underway.

Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian news agency Interfax that both sides were working toward holding the meeting soon.

"As a reference point, next week was mentioned," Ushakov said, though he noted the timeline could shift depending on how long preparations take.

The summit location has not yet been disclosed, but Moscow is reportedly optimistic. According to Ushakov, the meeting was discussed during Putin's talks on Wednesday with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow. It was the fifth such meeting between the two men.

The Kremlin said Witkoff delivered "signals" from the US president, but gave no further details.

Asked about the possibility of a trilateral summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ushakov said that while the idea was "mentioned" by the US side, "nothing concrete" had been discussed. He reiterated Russia's position that "the prerequisites" for a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting — namely, a framework for peace — had not yet been met.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a direct meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to find a way to end the war, following recent high-level talks between Putin and US President Donald Trump's special envoy in Moscow.

Trump said the meeting between envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin had been "highly productive," though US officials maintained that sanctions against Russia's trading partners would still go ahead.

Zelenskyy said he had spoken by phone with Trump, who suggested a potential upcoming meeting with Putin "very soon." He added that European leaders had also joined the call.

"We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders," Zelenskyy wrote on social media. "It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed."

The Ukrainian president said he planned further talks on Thursday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European officials. He also mentioned upcoming discussions between national security advisors.

"The main thing is for Russia, which started this war, to take real steps to end its aggression," Zelenskyy added.

Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in the Russian war on Ukraine.

You join us with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushing for a direct meeting with Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, saying meaningful progress can only happen when leaders talk face-to-face.

The call came after Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow — a meeting Trump said had produced results, though US sanctions are still on the table.

Stay tuned for the latest news and analysis from the ongoing war.