Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, August 13, 2025 (Ralf Hirschberger/AFP)EA on France 24: Can Ukraine-Europe Get Progress from Trump-Putin Meeting? He said his threats of sanctions on Russia and its trading partners may have brought Putin to the table. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said 51 military personnel and 33 civilians were freed, some of whom had been held since 2014, 2016, and 2017. Attempting to maintain the exclusion of Ukraine and its European partners, the Kremlin said discussions will focus on a “reset of relations” beyond Russia’s invasion. He stressed that European partners want to push for “robust safety assurances for Ukraine”, with increased pressure if “there’s no movement on the Russian side”.