Zelenskyy says he wants to see an agreement on security guarantees before meeting Vladimir Putin – Ukraine war live | Ukraine

Importantly for EU’s carmakers, Šefčovič says that the brand new 15% tariff would even be utilized retroactively again to 1 August.

“I consider that is welcome information for our automobile trade, which was bleeding a variety of money over the previous couple of months,” he says, saying it weighed on the negotiators’ minds.

He mentioned the EU was seeking to current crucial legislative proposal this month.

Again to Brussels, EU commerce commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is talking now on the EU-US commerce preparations.

He reiterates the purpose made by von der Leyen within the press assertion that the joint assertion “this isn’t the tip, it’s the start.”

“This framework is step one, one that may develop over time to cowl extra sectors, enhance market entry and strengthen our financial ties even additional, this work has been intense and important,” he says.

He stresses the significance of the association, saying:

“This carries appreciable weight and is actually impactful on the time when the commerce panorama has fully modified.

Our transatlantic relationship is without doubt one of the largest financial partnerships on this planet, and this settlement has a transparent frequent purpose, to place it on strong floor and assist drive free industrialization on each side of the Atlantic, and we wish to absolutely unleash the potential of our mixed financial energy.”

Equally to his feedback prior to now, he additionally says that the choice to this, nonetheless imperfect, deal was a lot worse.

“The choice, a commerce battle with sky excessive tariffs and political escalation, helps nobody.

It hurts jobs. It hurts progress, and it damages companies throughout each the EU and the US. And this isn’t theoretical as almost 5 million European jobs, together with many in SMEs could be in danger.

This deal avoids that path.”

Lavrov’s hardline remarks solid doubt on prospects for peace talks – snap evaluation

Pjotr Sauer

Russia’s international minister warned that Moscow will need to have an efficient veto over any measures to help Ukraine as soon as a peace deal is reached, undermining western plans to supply Kyiv with safety ensures.

In a collection of hardline remarks (12:30), Sergei Lavrov mentioned European proposals to deploy troops in Ukraine after a settlement would quantity to “international intervention,” which he known as completely unacceptable for Russia.

He additionally poured chilly water on the prospect of a Putin–Zelenskyy summit touted by Donald Trump, saying a bilateral assembly on the highest stage would solely be doable “if all points requiring dialogue are completely ready.”

Russia’s veteran international minister additional questioned whether or not Volodymyr Zelenskyy had the legitimacy to signal any future peace accord, parroting a well-recognized Kremlin line that portrays Ukraine’s management as illegitimate.

Lavrov’s remarks solid doubt on the prospects for peace talks, suggesting that Russia is retreating from the understandings reached in Alaska – the place Trump claimed Vladimir Putin had accepted western safety ensures for Ukraine – or that the US administration could have misinterpreted the Kremlin’s place from the outset.

Jakub Krupa

It’s price remembering that the joint assertion remains to be technically not legally binding on the events, however is a “blueprint” or a “street map” that additional spells out and advances their political commitments on the EU-US commerce, progressing the talks in Turnberry.

Jakub Krupa

We ought to hear extra in regards to the deal from the EU’s commerce commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, who is anticipated to be up on the European Fee shortly.

I’ll deliver you the important thing traces right here.

Now we have simply heard from the European Fee, confirming that the EU and the US have now agreed on the much-awaited “joint assertion” advancing the political commitments on commerce agreed by Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump in Scotland final month.

The commission’s press release says the assertion “lays out intimately the brand new US tariff regime in direction of the EU, with a transparent most, all-inclusive, tariff charge of 15% for the overwhelming majority of EU exports, together with strategic sectors reminiscent of automobiles, prescription drugs, semiconductors and lumber.”

“Sectors that are already topic to Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariffs of 15% or above, won’t be topic to extra tariffs,” it added.

It additionally mentioned that “with regard to automobiles and automobile elements, the 15% US tariff ceiling will apply in tandem with the EU initiating the procedures for tariff reductions vis-a-vis US merchandise.”

Individually, a senior US official advised Reuters that tariff reduction for EU carmakers had been anticipated to return in “hopefully weeks.”

The text of the joint statement additionally confirms the EU’s dedication to “procure US liquified pure gasoline, oil and nuclear vitality merchandise” valued at $750bn by means of 2028, with one other $40bn anticipated to be spent on US AI chips for computing centres.

Von der Leyen welcomed the publication, saying that “confronted with a difficult state of affairs, we’ve got delivered for our Member States and trade, and restored readability and coherence to transatlantic commerce.”

She additionally hinted that the EU would proceed working “to agree extra tariff reductions, to establish extra areas of cooperation, and to create extra financial progress potential.”

German international minister rows again on feedback about sending troops to Ukraine

Kate Connolly

in Berlin

Johann Wadephul, the German international minister, has needed to row again on feedback he made earlier this week, wherein he advised that Germany’s army could be too overstretched if it needed to ship troops to Ukraine.

Wadepfuhl mentioned in an interview that the Bundeswehr was already contributing troops to a combat-ready brigade in Lithuania. “Doing that and in addition stationing troops in Ukraine would in all probability overstretch us,” he mentioned.

The dialogue over troops in Ukraine issues discovering a safety assure for Ukraine if and when Moscow ceased its battle on the nation. One suggestion has been for Nato members to station troops within the nation, whilst Moscow has mentioned it’ll not settle for such an association.

Wadephul made the remarks forward of the important thing assembly in Washington between Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelenskyy, US president Donald Trump, and various their European counterparts.

Wadepfuhl, who’s on a commerce journey to Asia, has since mentioned that finally it will be for the defence minister Boris Pistorius to decide, and has denied that he “instantly or not directly” doubted the capability of Germany’s army.

The remarks come at a time when Germany is within the midst of a full of life debate about the way it may enhance army recruits, and whether or not it ought to reintroduce conscription.

In different information, Italian police have arrested a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the assaults on the Nord Stream pipelines, Germany’s prosecutor common mentioned, including that he could be introduced earlier than a German choose after being transferred, Reuters reported.

The suspect, recognized solely as Serhii Okay. underneath German privateness legal guidelines, was a part of a bunch of people that planted units on the pipelines close to the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022, a statement from the prosecutor’s office said.

The prosecutor’s workplace allege that the person and his accomplices had set off from Rostock on Germany’s north-eastern coast in a crusing yacht to hold out the assault, including that the vessel had been rented from a German firm with the assistance of solid identification paperwork by way of middlemen.

Carabinieri officers arrested the suspect in a single day within the province of Rimini on Italy’s Adriatic coast, the German prosecutors’ assertion mentioned.

Reuters famous that nobody has ever taken accountability for explosions that severely broken pipelines carrying gasoline from Russia to Europe in September 2022, marking a significant escalation within the Ukraine battle and ramping up an vitality provide disaster on the continent.

In the meantime, Russian international minister Sergei Lavrov has been talking in the previous couple of minutes, shifting blame for little progress onto Ukraine.

In feedback, reported by Reuters, he claimed with out providing proof that Ukraine needed to “undermine Trump’s efforts to resolve battle,” and insisted that Russia “was already prepared for an trustworthy speak about safety ensures,” however alongside the traces of its maximalist 2022 proposal.

Lavrov even appeared to query Zelenskyy’s legitimacy to signal any deal, saying that “relating to signing one thing, the problems of legit of the Ukrainian consultant must be resolved.”

He additionally criticised the “Coalition of the Keen,” saying they needed to “shift the main target away from resolving the foundation causes of the battle,” and saying that he hoped “such European adventurism fails.”

Lavrov additionally rejected any suggestion that European troops might be current in Ukraine as a part of safety ensures, saying it will be “fully unacceptable” for Russia.

Zelenskyy additionally advised reporters that he would wish to see an settlement on safety ensures for Ukraine earlier than assembly Russia’s Vladimir Putin, AFP mentioned.

He warned that within the meantime each side had been making ready for additional preventing, with Russia build up troops on the southern frontline and Ukraine check launching a brand new long-range cruise missile.

“We wish to have an understanding of the safety ensures structure inside seven to 10 days,” Zelensky mentioned, in feedback to reporters launched for publication Thursday.

“We want to know which nation will likely be able to do what at every particular second,” he mentioned. A gaggle of allies led by Britain and France are placing collectively a army coalition to help the ensures.

Zelenskyy additionally indicated his choice on the place the assembly might happen, calling for a “impartial” European nation.

“Switzerland, Austria – we agree… For us, Turkey is a Nato nation and a part of Europe. And we aren’t opposed,” Zelensky mentioned of doable venues.

We’re additionally getting extra particulars from Zelenskyy’s feedback to a bunch of reporters, by way of companies.

The Ukrainian president revealed that in his assembly with Donald Trump on Monday, he requested the US chief to stress Hungary into dropping its veto on Kyiv’s bid to affix the EU, AFP reported.

“It’s completely honest that Ukraine needs to affix the European Union… That is our sovereign proper,” Zelensky advised reporters.

“President Trump promised that his group would work on this,” he mentioned.

Bloomberg reported yesterday (£) that Trump certainly known as Hungary’s Viktor Orbán later to debate the problem.

For those who adopted the blog on Wednesday, we checked out an incident with an allegedly Russian drone that crossed into Poland and exploded in a cornfield, some 100 km from Polish-Belarusian border.

A regional prosecutor issued an replace right now, saying that “there’s a very excessive chance … that the item in all probability got here from Belarus.”

That marks a slight shift of tone, as on Wednesday officers claimed the drone was launched from Russia.

However deputy international minister Marcin Bosacki mentioned this morning {that a} protest observe could be given to Russia later right now, Reuters reported.

European leaders scrambled to defend Ukraine in high-stakes Trump talks – however did they?

Ashifa Kassam

European neighborhood affairs correspondent

Days after the unprecedented flurry of diplomacy, questions proceed to swirl over what – if something – may come out of it. On Monday, Trump and a number of other European leaders, mentioned Putin had agreed to face-to-face talks with Zelenskyy within the coming weeks.

Moscow, nonetheless, has but to verify that any such assembly – which might be the primary since Russia launched its full invasion of Ukraine greater than three years in the past – is being deliberate, with a Kremlin aide saying solely that Putin and Trump mentioned the thought of “elevating the extent of representatives” within the Ukraine talks.

Trump had additionally indicated a willingness to be a part of security guarantees for Kyiv if there was a deal to finish preventing. However the precise nature of these ensures stays to be seen, with Trump later ruling out the opportunity of the US placing troops on the bottom in Ukraine and as an alternative floating that Washington might present air help.

Considerations additionally proceed to linger over what precisely Trump proposed in Alaska and what, if something, Putin agreed to through the close to three-hour assembly. As Pjotr Sauer, a Guardian Russian affairs reporter, noted, some concern Trump could have overstated the result and misjudged Moscow’s willingness to compromise.

In additional feedback from Zelenskyy this morning, reported by Reuters, he mentioned it was unclear what concessions relating to territory Moscow was keen to make to finish the battle.

Trump has beforehand mentioned Kyiv and Moscow will each must cede land.

“To debate what Ukraine is keen to do, let’s first hear what Russia is keen to do,” Zelenskiy mentioned. “We have no idea that.“

Morning opening: Extra questions than solutions

Jakub Krupa

Three days on from the White Home summit on Ukraine, the alerts are now not as constructive as US president Donald Trump would have needed us to consider.

In a single day, Politico reported that the US undersecretary of defence for coverage, Elbridge Colby, told European allies that the US would solely provide minimal ensures for Ukraine, with most burden left for Europe to select up.

A Nato diplomat briefered on the talks advised Politico: “The US shouldn’t be absolutely dedicated to something.”

Any prospects of constructing additional diplomatic progress additionally appeared to have stalled, with quite a few Russian officers and diplomats firming down the expectations for each ceasefire and a possible Zelenskyy-Putin assembly.

Russia’s international minister Sergei Lavrov mentioned that any assembly would have to be ready “with the utmost care”, whereas the nation’s deputy consultant to the UN, Dmitry Polansky, advised the BBC that “it shouldn’t be a gathering for the sake of a gathering.”

Or to translate to plain English: thanks however no, thanks.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to those stalling ways this morning, calling for a “sturdy response” from the US if Putin refuses to fulfill him, as mentioned with Trump.

The Ukrainian president additionally appeared to minimize the prospect of the Hungarian capital, Budapest, internet hosting the potential summit with Putin, calling it “difficult.”

Hungary has lengthy been Russia’s loudest advocate throughout the European Union, usually seeking to delay or block the sanctions, and criticising Kyiv and different capitals for his or her method to the battle. Budapest can also be blocking Ukraine’s accession course of to the EU.

Zelenskyy additionally identified one other spherical of Russian assaults in a single day, together with towards an American enterprise in Zakarpatia area, which injured 15 folks.

He mentioned the assaults had been “as if nothing had modified in any respect.”

“A response is required to this. There’s nonetheless no sign from Moscow that they’re actually going to enter significant negotiations and finish this battle. Strain is required. Sturdy sanctions, sturdy tariffs.”

I’ll deliver you all the important thing updates right here.

It’s Thursday, 21 August 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa right here, and that is Europe Dwell.

Good morning.