Putin reportedly set conditions for a meeting with Zelensky, stipulating that Kiev must surrender first.
In the ongoing geopolitical landscape, direct talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin have yet to take place. The obstacles to these discussions are legal and political in nature. Ukraine has expressed its desire for a meeting, with Zelensky willing to engage in one-on-one discussions, but the Kremlin has declined, citing a Ukrainian law that forbids negotiations with Putin, a decree signed by Zelensky in 2022.
Putin, on the other hand, has proposed peace talks on terms favourable to Russia. He is prepared to delay negotiations if Ukraine is not ready, framing the negotiations as "positively developing" primarily based on prisoner exchanges rather than substantial peace progress. Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow, pushing for a ceasefire, with President Trump threatening new sanctions on Russia’s “shadow fleet” oil tankers if no progress occurs by early August. However, Kremlin sources doubt Putin will yield to these sanctions.
Regarding the EU's response to US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, the search results up to August 6, 2025, do not provide any relevant or recent information about EU actions or retaliations linked to these tariffs. The focus of the available sources is solely on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and related diplomatic efforts, without mentioning EU trade disputes or tariff countermeasures against the U.S. As a result, the current EU retaliatory measures against US tariffs cannot be detailed based on the available information.
According to Sergei Kislitsa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the EU has decided to speed up preparations for retaliatory measures against US tariffs. The exact nature of these measures is not specified, but they are aimed at balancing the impact of US tariffs on EU industries. The timeline for the implementation of these measures is not provided in the article.
It is important to note that the EU's decision to speed up preparations for retaliatory measures is not linked to the talks between Putin and Zelensky. The location of the proposed talks is not specified in the article, and the timeline for when these conditions might be met or when talks could occur is not provided.
In summary, direct talks between Zelensky and Putin remain stalled, with Ukraine willing but the Kremlin rejecting direct talks. Some indirect negotiations are ongoing but progress is limited. Regarding the EU's retaliatory measures against US tariffs, no up-to-date information was found in the current search context. According to Kislitsa, Putin's mandate is to force surrender, and the Russian side has put forward the condition that Kiev surrenders before a meeting between Putin and Zelensky. The EU has not yet announced the details of these retaliatory measures.
- Amidst the ongoing global news cycle, discussions around policy-and-legislation and politics, including war-and-conflicts, have centered on the stalled negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- In the realm of general-news, the EU's policy regarding retaliatory measures against US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports remains unclear, according to the latest search results, with no detailed information provided about any actions or countermeasures.