This is reported by Kyiv24
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported the presence of “certain signals” indicating that Russia’s war against Ukraine may soon be “frozen.” He made this statement during a press conference on August 8 following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Diplomatic Steps and Leaders’ Intuition
Donald Tusk emphasized that this does not refer to a complete end to the war, but rather the likelihood of freezing the conflict. According to him, optimism regarding this scenario is supported by both existing information and his own sense of the situation.
“There are certain signals, and I also have an intuition that a possible freezing of the conflict – I do not want to say ‘end of the war,’ but rather ‘freezing of the conflict’ – is closer than distant. There is hope for this. Today marks the end of the ultimatum period (from U.S. President Donald Trump – ed.). President Zelensky is very cautious, but still optimistic”
– noted Tusk.
Volodymyr Zelensky, after his conversation with the Polish Prime Minister, emphasized that he informed him about diplomatic interactions with the United States and European partners. He highlighted the importance of coordinating efforts to strengthen the security and independence of European countries and thanked Poland for its support on the path to peace.
Activation of International Negotiations
On August 6, a meeting took place in Moscow between U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which preceded the end of Donald Trump’s ultimatum. The American president demanded that Russia reach a ceasefire with Ukraine by August 8, threatening to impose 100% tariffs on imports of Russian goods to the U.S., as well as on imports from Russia’s partners. After this meeting, Donald Trump announced “significant progress,” but acknowledged that the negotiations were not breakthrough.
Furthermore, Trump informed reporters at the White House about a “high probability” of his meeting with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia – Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin also stated that a meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents could take place soon. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov added that during the visit of Trump’s special envoy to Moscow, the possibility of a trilateral meeting involving Volodymyr Zelensky was discussed, but no official comment from Russia was received. Vladimir Putin, for his part, noted that a meeting with the President of Ukraine is only possible if the appropriate preconditions are created.
The Russian president suggested that the United Arab Emirates could become “one of the suitable places” for a summit with Donald Trump. According to him, both sides have shown interest in such a meeting. Meanwhile, the White House confirmed that the Trump administration is open to dialogue with both Putin and Zelensky.
Volodymyr Zelensky, commenting on the outcomes of his conversation with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, stated Ukraine’s readiness to participate in negotiations in various formats. Additionally, after Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Putin, Trump held phone conversations with Zelensky and several European leaders.
At the same time, analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War have repeatedly emphasized that the Kremlin has not abandoned its plans to conquer Ukraine. They believe that the delay in negotiations is viewed as a tactic to gain additional time and concessions from Ukraine and the West, as well as to achieve new gains on the battlefield.