Key events
Finland hopes Trump will move with sanctions on Russia, foreign minister says
The Finnish foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, said in the past hour that she hoped Trump will move ahead with sanctions on Russia.
Speaking to Reuters this morning, she said:
“I certainly hope that President Trump will move forward with those sanctions.
What we do see – and suspect now as well – is that the reason that Russia has again shown some willingness to talk, is that the increased arms deliveries [to Ukraine] are definitely piling up the pressure on Russia to find a way out of the war.”
Valtonen also argued that “the only strategy to end the war in Ukraine is to keep aiding Ukraine”.
Morning opening: Deadline day
Jakub Krupa
The US president Donald Trump’s original deadline for Russia to move on ending its invasion of Ukraine ends today.
Asked if he was ready to follow through on his threats of sanctions and secondary tariffs, Trump told reporters last night:
It’s going to be up to him. We’re going to see what he has to say.
He then added he was “very disappointed” in Putin, but – in an apparent concession to the Kremlin – said he would be ready to meet the Russian leader, regardless of whether he meets with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
That contradicted a New York Post report citing a White House official who said that Trump would only meet Putin if the Kremlin leader met Zelenskyy, something Putin has previously rejected.
The Trump-Putin summit could take place as early as next week, with the United Arab Emirates floated as a potential place for the meeting.
But before that happens, will Trump move on sanctions as promised to exert even more pressure on Russia? Let’s see.
Elsewhere, I will be looking at the EU’s reactions on the latest in Israel and Gaza, and keep an eye on Trump’s plans to announce a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
I will bring you all the key updates here.
It’s Friday 8 August 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
