Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap!
Russian president Vladimir Putin said that “certain conditions should be created” for him to meet meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding that the current situation was “far” from what was necessary (14:18).
His comments came amid growing pressure on the Kremlin (10:46), with Russian officials saying that the prepatory work was under way to arrange for Putin’s meeting with Trump next week, but not with Zelenskyy (10:28).
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy spoke with several European leaders to coordinate on the next steps, including German chancellor Friedrich Merz (12:34, 13:00), French president Emmanuel Macron (14:14), and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen (15:13).
In other news,
The EU said it was still working with the US on “stabilising the text” of the joint statement on EU-US trade, with the ball “in the US court now” (12:51), with first industries raising their concerns about the slow progress in key areas (12:54).
Moscow said it had summoned an Italian diplomat earlier this week, over an “anti-Russian campaign” in Italian media, further fraying already strained ties between the two countries. (16:22).
A Dutch anti-discrimination hotline has received more than 2,500 complaints about a campaign post by far-right leader Geert Wilders, a spokesperson said Thursday, making it one of the organisation’s most reported cases on record, AFP reported (16:28).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Switzerland to continue talks with US over 'crippling' tariffs
Switzerland will continue talks with the United States, its president said on Thursday, after president Donald Trump placed crippling import tariffs on Swiss goods, which threaten to inflict serious damage on its export-focused economy, Reuters reported.
The 39% import levy – among the highest of any applied under Trump’s global trade reset – took effect at midnight Washington time after an 11th-hour effort by Swiss officials failed to produce a better deal.
The tariffs are set to throttle the small alpine nation’s access to the US, a leading export market for Swatch, Rolex and Patek Philippe watches as well as high-end cheeses and chocolates, Reuters warned.
“For the affected sectors, companies, and their employees, this is an extraordinarily difficult situation,” president Karin Keller-Sutter told reporters following an urgent meeting of the seven-member Federal Council, Switzerland’s governing cabinet.
Keller-Sutter left Washington on Wednesday without a deal following a hastily organised trip during which she did not meet with Trump or any of his leading trade representatives, according to two sources.
Her proposal for a 10% tariff rate was rejected by U.S. officials, one of the sources added.
Keller-Sutter said Switzerland wanted “a rule-based relationship with the United States... but not at any price.”
Thousands of hotels in Europe to sue Booking.com over ‘abusive’ practices
Booking.com is facing a class-action lawsuit from more than 10,000 European hotels arguing that the accommodation mega-site used its muscle to distort the market to their detriment over a 20-year period.
The Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe (Hotrec), which represents the industry within the EU and is bringing the legal action, recently extended to 29 August a deadline for hotel owners to join the suit because of high demand.
The lawsuit, expected to be one of the largest ever filed in the European hospitality sector, is also backed by 30 national hotel associations, including Britain’s.
“Over 10,000 hotels have already joined the pan-European initiative to claim compensation for financial losses caused by Booking.com’s use of illegal ‘best price’ (parity) clauses,” Hotrec said in a statement.
It alleges that the “best price” pledge on Booking.com was extracted from hotels under huge pressure not to offer rooms at lower prices on other platforms, including their own websites.
The hotel industry says that the Netherlands-based platform also used the clauses to prevent customers making what it called “free-rider” bookings, which it defined as using its services to find a hotel but then booking directly with the management, cutting out Booking.com.
“Registration [to the legal action] continues to grow steadily, and the response so far demonstrates the hospitality industry’s strong desire to stand up against unfair practices in the digital marketplace,” Hotrec said.
The litigation, which experts say will be an uphill battle, seeks damages for the period from 2004 to 2024, when Booking.com did away with the best price clause to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act.
Far-right Dutch leader Wilders faces criticism over anti-Muslim post
A Dutch anti-discrimination hotline has received more than 2,500 complaints about a campaign post by far-right leader Geert Wilders, a spokesperson said Thursday, making it one of the organisation’s most reported cases on record, AFP reported.
The post, shared by the Freedom Party (PVV) leader earlier this week, showed a young blonde woman labelled “PVV” next to an older, stern-looking woman in a headscarf marked “PvdA”, referring to the Dutch Labour Party.
“The choice is yours on 29/10,” Wilders wrote on X, referring to local elections in the Netherlands in October.
A Discriminatie.nl hotline spokesperson told the Dutch news agency, ANP, that it was clear that the picture was “polarising, stigmatising and discriminatory” and intended to “put Muslims in a bad light”.
The complaints and comments given to the hotline, he said, were “a clear signal from society”.
The volume of complaints is among the highest the organisation has ever seen for a single incident.
Updated
Let’s take a quick look at other news across Europe.
Russia summons Italian chargé d’affaires over alleged 'anti-Russian campaign' in media
Elsewhere, Moscow said it had summoned an Italian diplomat earlier this week, over an “anti-Russian campaign” in Italian media, further fraying already strained ties between the two countries, AFP reported.
Reuters added that the row focused on what the Russian ministry called “odious” anti-Russian statements, in an ongoing row over the cancellation of a concert by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev in Italy.
Updated
'Europe's position is clear,' von der Leyen says as she backs Ukraine after call with Zelenskyy
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, not involved in yesterday’s call with Trump and European leaders (12:17), has just got off the phone with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In a brief social media update, she said they “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.”
Putin says he could meet Zelenskyy under 'certain conditions' that are 'far' from being met
And just like that, Interfax is reporting the latest comments from Russian president Vladimir Putin, quoted as saying that “on the whole” he has nothing against meeting Zelenskyy.
He added, however, that “certain conditions should be created” for such a meeting, and the current situation was “far” from satisfactory, Reuters reported.
He also said, just as expected, that the United Arab Emirates could host his meeting with Trump, potentially as early as next week (11:48).
Mind you: he made these comments just after meeting with sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE.
Updated
'No clear public response from Russia' on plans to end war, Zelenskyy says after Macron call
Continuing his conversations with European leaders, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy just spoke with the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
He said Ukraine and European partners were “coordinating our positions” as they “see the need for a common European view on key security issues for Europe.”
“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.
The near future must show what the consequences will be if Russia continues to drag out the war and disrupt constructive efforts.”
Zelenskyy holds talks on 'deep strikes' on Russia as he warns 'prolonging war will come at cost'
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he just held a meeting on “deep strikes” into the Russian teritory, where he received a report on the latest activities.
He said the discussion covers the latest updates on “the scale of damage inflicted on Russia, the cost-effectiveness of each strike, and the impact on the aggressor’s war machine.”
“Russia’s attempts to prolong the war will come at a cost,” he warned.
Prospect of Putin-Trump talks without Ukraine or allies likely to alarm Kyiv - snap analysis
in Kyiv
The prospect of Putin and Trump trying to come to an agreement on Ukraine with no one else in the room is likely to alarm Kyiv and European capitals.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for direct discussions with Putin, with either Trump or the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as a mediator.
Putin has so far dismissed the possibility, suggesting that lower-level negotiation groups should come to an agreement first. However, little progress has been made at a series of direct talks in Turkey, with Moscow sending a junior delegation and not appearing ready for real talks.
It is not clear where a Trump-Putin summit might take place but the most likely options are Turkey or the Middle East. Ushakov said a location had already been decided but declined to name it.
Europe must be part of talks on ending Ukraine war, Zelenskyy says after speaking with Germany's Merz
As we were following trade developments, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered his take on the phone call with German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
He said the two leaders “share the view that the war must be ended as soon as possible with a dignified peace, and the parameters of ending this war will shape the security landscape of Europe for decades to come.”
He insisted that with Ukraine being an integral part of Europe and in the process of EU accession, “Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes” on ending the war.
“Today, security advisors will hold an online meeting to align our joint views – Ukraine and the whole Europe, the United States,” he added.
Separately, Zelenskyy appeared to put more pressure on Russia to agree to a three-way leaders’ meeting, saying:
“Yesterday, various potential formats for leader-level meetings to bring peace were also discussed – two bilateral and one trilateral.
Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side.
It is time we ended the war.”
Ireland works on plan to diversify its economy in face of Trump's tariffs
The Irish government is to publish a plan to diversify its economy in the wake of Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs on imports from the EU and almost 70 other trading partners around the world.
The deputy prime minister Simon Harris said on Friday that he would publish the national strategy later this month.
“We must also look for other opportunities to diversify markets for Irish business. While we want to continue to do business with the US and indeed want to grow business. It is important that we take every opportunity to identify new markets. This month we will publish Ireland’s new Market Diversification Action Plan,” he said.
The Irish government has been criticised in some quarters for not building up contingencies in its export-driven economy that could soften the blow of a sudden shock such as the US presidents decision to impose 15% tariffs on all imports from the EU.
Ireland is also bracing itself for a new assault on pharmaceutical exports next week.
Although the US and the EU agreed that any tariffs would not go beyond 15%, Ireland, whose exports are driven by pharmaceutical sales to the US, remains nervous that other barriers could be erected by Trump to force US multinationals to divert investment to the US.
Trump singled out China and Ireland’s pharma sectors during an interview on CNBC earlier this week.
“In many ways, the EU and the US are interdependent when it comes to pharma. In the very first instance, it’s vital that the US keeps its agreement in terms of a tariff rate of no higher than 15% on the pharma industry,” said Harris on Thursday.
“But actually, in the time ahead, it’s important that we seek to further improve that. US pharma companies need to have a base in the European Union – and Ireland has been a very constructive, very good home for those businesses. They’ve done very well in Ireland,” he added.
German car industry grows impatient with delays on US tariff reduction
The German car industry has called on the US to speedily deliver on its promise to reduce the tariff on cars from 27.5% to the 15% ceiling agreed at Donald Trump’s golf course 10 days ago.
EU manufacturers have found themselves in the same boat as the UK industry which had to wait before the agreement struck between Trump and prime minister Keir Starmer on a10% rate came into force.
Hildegard Müller, president of the German car industry federation, the VDA, said the EU-US deal had “brought no clarity or improvement” to the industry.
“The sectoral tariffs on cars and automotive parts of 27.5 percent, which have been in effect since April and May, respectively, remain in place and place a significant burden on German automakers and automotive suppliers, as well as on transatlantic trade.
“It is important that the promised agreement is reached now and the relief measures are implemented promptly. The US must now suspend the so-called Section 232 and withdraw the sectoral tariffs for the European and thus also the German automotive industry. The EU Commission and the German Federal Government must vigorously advocate for this,” she said.
Other sectors including the wine and spirits industry have also called on the White House to act fast to reduce the current 15% tariff now applying to alcohol exports.
However this is unlikely to be settled for weeks, if not months, as the EU and the US continue to negotiate carve outs for the sector.
Although the EU was hoping for a zero for zero tariff rate on alcohol sales in both directions, a small tariff that applied to wine and spirits before Trump was elected is still likely to apply after the 15% ceiling is unapplied.
This is because a reduction to zero would require Trump to get approval from the Congress.
Trump tariffs on alcohol which range from 0.5% on Sherry to 1.8% on sparkling wine will apply even if the EU-US agree to eliminate the extra tariff.
The technical point on cars, pharma and semiconductors is particularly important as more and more industries are growing impatient – let’s quickly cross to Lisa O’Carroll on this point to explain.
EU-US work on 'stabilising text' on trade, with ball in US court to move, EU spokesperson says
The EU has also given a brief update on the state of play in the EU-US trade talks.
Trade spokesperson Olof Gill said the two sides were working on “stabilising the text” of the much-awaited joint statement taking further the general agreement reached in Scotland. He said it would still be non-binding, but help to set the road ahead.
“To all intents and purposes, the ball is in the US court now, and we look forward to them helping us to move the process forward,” he said.
He added that “a vast majority [of the text] is agreed” and “we have made it very clear where we can and can’t go now; we look forward to our American counterparts doing the same.”
Gill also was asked about the EU’s spending commitments that Trump spoke about earlier this week, with the US president portraying them as in his “gift” that he can do whatever he wants with (our blog on Tuesday).
The EU’s spokesperson explained that the EU “transmitted to the US administration … sort of aggregate intentions … by EU companies,” but added that these numbers are not binding the commission and it has no power to enforce it.
Gill was also asked about the progress on cars, pharmaceutical and semiconductors, but said he couldn’t offer a more detailed timeline, with the EU waiting for the US.
Zelenskyy spoke to Germany's Merz about US mediation efforts after contact with Putin
German chancellor Friedrich Merz is the latest European leader to speak to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The German government spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, said in a statement the pair spoke by telephone to discuss yesterday’s meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The statement said:
“Both acknowledged the American president’s mediation efforts and agreed that Russia must end its war of aggression, which violates international law.
Both agreed to maintain close contact with European partners and the United States.
The Chancellor assured the Ukrainian president of his continued support.”
Updated
Putin-Trump meeting likely to take place next week - Russian media
Russian news agency Ria Novosti has just reported that the meeting between Putin and Trump is “likely to take place next week.”
Separately, asked for updates on Gaza, the European Commission has confirmed that “Israeli authorities continue not to authorise or allow EU access to Gaza” as the bloc “is not considered a humanitarian actor,” and it has to rely on UN reports.
“What we can say is that despite this partial progress, we are not where we would want to be in terms of the amount of trucks being able to make their way to the destination,” a spokesperson said.
But the spokespeople steered away from stronger language used by the commission’s second most senior official, Teresa Ribera, who said in an interview with Politico that the situation in Gaza “looks very much” like genocide.
EU confirms von der Leyen not part of Trump-Zelenskyy call
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was not among European leaders involved in yesterday’s call between US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, her spokesperson confirmed.
Commission spokesperson Arianna Podestà said:
“The president was not in the call yesterday. She has been extensively debriefed, was in touch with the leaders like always. She’s in constant contact with them, especially on such an important matter.
Of course, you know our position on peace talks very well. We support a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, and our commitment on that has not changed in any way.
For what concerns these possible trilateral peace talks, I understand that the timing, the format, the logistics, are still to be seen, so it’s very much premature to say exactly what is going to happen if and when there is further information.”
Challenged twice, she declined to name which leaders von der Leyen spoke with.
Foreign affairs spokesperson Anitta Hipper added that “no one wants peace more than Ukraine and the EU,” while noting that at the moment “it is very clear that Russia is not interested in any peace as such, because we have seen it in their actions, not in their words.”
She added the EU welcomes “any pressure when it comes to ensuring that Russia is at the negotiation table.”
Updated
Ukraine says it struck Russian oil refinery with drones
Meanwhile, in the last few minutes, the Ukrainian military said its drone units had hit the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region, sparking flames in gas processing equipment.
Russian emergency services reported a fire at the plant caused by falling drone debris.
Speculations mount about possible venue of Putin-Trump summit
There is a lot of speculation about a possible venue for the Putin-Trump meeting, which the Kremlin’s aide Ushakov said had been already agreed, but would only be announced later.
Reuters noted that Putin was due on Thursday to meet the president of the United Arab Emirates, which sources have previously suggested as a possible venue.
Meanwhile, we have an update on the Ukrainian gas interconnector hit by Russian drones yesterday (yesterday’s Europe Live), with its operator saying it remains operational despite the attack.
The gas pumping station in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region is used to import LNG from the US and Azerbaijan, with the attack thought to seek to undermine preparations for winter.
“Deliveries are made in the same manner as before,” an official from the operator told Reuters today.
Updated
Kremlin tries to bank summit with Trump but ignore Zelenskyy in classic Putin/Trump dynamic - snap analysis
in Kyiv
In recent months, Putin has made it clear he does not want to be in the same room as Volodymyr Zelenskyy but would be keen on a set-piece summit with Trump.
The reports out of Washington yesterday suggested Steve Witkoff had come to a compromise with Putin: first a two-way meeting with Trump, then a three-way adding Zelenskyy.
This morning, the Kremlin is making it clear it is working to a different agreement, banking the big summit with Trump and ignoring the part about Zelenskyy.
It all looks like the classic Putin/Trump dynamic we have got used to in recent months: Trump promises something that sounds like a breakthrough, then the Kremlin throws cold water on it.
Agreement on Putin-Trump talks 'essentially reached,' Kremlin aide says, but plays down three-way summit with Zelenskyy
Senior Kremlin aide and former Russian ambassador to the US Yuri Ushakov has just said that the two sides “essentially reached” an agreement to hold a meeting between Putin and Trump “in the coming days.”
“We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues,” he added in televised comments.
But as my colleague Shaun Walker notes, there is a pretty major difference there compared to Trump’s original intentions of a three-way summit that would also include Zelenskyy.
In his comments, Ushakov has thrown cold water on the US suggestion that a three-way meeting with Zelenskyy would follow shortly after.
“As for a three-way meeting, which for some reason Washington was talking about yesterday, this was just something mentioned by the American side during the meeting in the Kremlin. But this was not discussed. The Russian side left this option completely without comment,” said Yuri Ushakov, a key aide to Vladimir Putin.
A Trump-Putin meeting would be the first US-Russia leadership summit since former president Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva in 2021, AFP noted.
But there is no indication as to where the meeting could take place this time round.
Trump told reporters that there was a “good chance” that it could happen “very soon,” with US media reporting it could be as early as next week, with Trump hoping it could later lead to a three-way meeting with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, too.
Morning opening: Planning the next steps
With White House officials saying that US president Donald Trump could meet Russian president Vladimir Putin as soon as next week to discuss the war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is hitting the phones today to consult with European partners on the how to best plan the next steps.
We don’t know the details of what Zelenskyy learned from Trump during their phone call last night, joined by some European leaders, but it is clear that there is a momentum to push Russia further, and Kyiv will want to make the most of it.
In a morning update, Zelenskyy said he had already spoken with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and Finnish president Alexander Stubb, and that he would have further calls with German chancellor Friedrich Merz and the leaders of France and Italy. Separately, there will be some technical talks at the level of national security advisers.
Zelenskyy explained his thinking:
“The priorities are absolutely clear.
First – an end to the killing, and it is Russia that must agree to a ceasefire.
Second – a format for leaders, so that such a meeting can lead to a truly lasting peace. We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders. It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed.
Third – long-term security. This is possible together with the United States and Europe.”
He then added:
“Ukraine has never wanted war and will work toward peace as productively as possible. The main thing is for Russia, which started this war, to take real steps to end its aggression.
The world has leverage over the aggressor and the means to verify whether promises are being kept. I’m grateful to everyone who is firmly committed to bringing this war to a dignified end.”
Elsewhere, we will be looking at the latest on EU-US trade from Brussels, as the “joint statement” fleshing out the details of the agreement is now long overdue.
I will bring you all the key updates here.
It’s Thursday, 7 August 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
