Trump’s deadline has passed: will peace come to Ukraine after August 8?
8 August 18:05
Today, on August 8, the deadline set by US President Donald Trump to achieve peace in Ukraine has officially passed. And there have been no signs of an end to the war or the start of negotiations.
The day before, journalists reminded Trump, “is the deadline tomorrow still in place?” In response, he succinctly stated that it was up to Putin. Meanwhile, the Kremlin is preparing for large-scale restrictions on Internet access by creating a “white list” of vital services to control the information space during possible mobile outages.
U.S. President Donald Trump once again emphasized the harsh consequences for Russia if the war in Ukraine does not end by August 8. He warned the Kremlin about the introduction of new tariffs and sanctions that could significantly increase economic pressure on Moscow.
According to Reuters, citing a U.S. administration official, Washington plans to impose secondary sanctions on Russia as early as August 8. Secondary sanctions will affect countries and companies that continue to do business with Moscow, although specific details have not yet been disclosed.
Earlier, on August 6, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that a final decision on strengthening the sanctions regime would be made soon.
“Discussions will take place throughout the day, after which official statements may be made. We’ll see if they are positive,” Rubio said in an interview with Sky News.
Trump’s August 8 deadline has passed: are there still chances?
In general, Ukrainians were waiting for August 8 with hope, but no one expected the war to stop instantly – immediately after that date, the shelling would stop and Russia would stop its offensive. This was stated by Sergiy Yagodzinsky, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor and Vice-Rector of the European University, in an exclusive commentary for "Komersant Ukrainian".
“It was unrealistic. But it was on August 8 that we hoped to see at least some political shifts, certain negotiating signals or steps towards dialogue. And although there was no immediate end to the fighting, the events of the last few days have shown that the situation remains dynamic,” Serhiy Yahodzinsky
According to the expert, the first important evidence is Putin’s official announcement of his readiness to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Although the conditions for this meeting are still tough and require certain prerequisites, this is the first time it has been voiced in this form,” explains Yahodzinsky.
At the same time, he adds, there are specific proposals from Russia on the status of the temporarily occupied territories, which, although ambiguous, such as options for leasing them for 49 or 99 years without officially recognizing the accession, already provide a basis for working on compromises.
“It is not yet known whether these are Russia’s real terms or those agreed with the United States, but this gives us hope for further negotiations,” said Yahodzinsky.
Separately, Yahodzinsky emphasizes the change in rhetoric in political circles – now they do not speak unequivocally about peace or the end of the war, but rather about a truce as an intermediate stage.
“It’s like a comma, not a full stop in a sentence, which allows both sides to stop and look around, reassess the situation and prepare the ground for further dialogue,” explains Professor Yahodzinsky.
He also draws attention to the human factor – ordinary people are dying on both sides of the war, and even in Russian society there is a growing awareness of the senselessness of this war. They say that people in Russia are burying their children who were sent to a war that has no meaning. This realization also affects political decisions, emphasizes Yahodzinsky.
“Trump really found leverage over Putin, which forced the latter to at least partially change his rhetoric and approach. That is why August 8 can be considered a key date, although there are no illusions about an immediate end to the war. This is the day when real prerequisites for future negotiations and a potential shift in the conflict emerged,” Serhiy Yahodzinsky.
Kremlin plans and reality: what is happening inside the Russian regime
While the world is focused on potential peace talks, the Kremlin is preparing for radical changes in domestic politics and infrastructure. Anonymous telegram channels close to Russian elites have revealed important details about the situation inside the regime, which indicate tighter control over the population and a difficult outlook for the war in Ukraine.
- Internet shutdown
Russian Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev has officially stated that together with telecom operators, a technical scheme has been agreed upon that will allow access to a limited list of services in the event of a mobile Internet outage.
“It will be a so-called ‘white list’ that will include taxi services, delivery services, marketplaces – everything that is necessary for life,” Shadayev said.
According to Kremlin sources, this decision was a reaction to a large-scale cyberattack on Aeroflot and tightening control over the information space. At the same time, Shadayev promised Mishustin to tighten control over all types of communication, which is important not only during air alerts but also in case of other emergencies.
- Preparing for a protracted war
According to a military source close to Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, an official announcement of a new wave of mobilization in Russia is expected between September 15 and 20. According to the source, the decision to mobilize is dictated by both the current situation at the front and the overall international context.
“Mobilization is necessary based on the situation at the front and the international situation. The approximate dates are September 15-20,” the military said, but refused to disclose details about the number of recruits.
Earlier, we reported that about 350-400 thousand people could join the army. This information was confirmed by our sources.
Currently, the Kremlin refuses to comment on the issue of mobilization, and the Russian Ministry of Defense, in particular in circles close to Andrei Belousov, has no official statements on the matter.
- Russia is ready to negotiate, but with conditions.
According to sources, the Kremlin wants bilateral contact between Putin and Trump. A meeting with Zelenskyy is also possible, but so far it is a matter of many nuances – the venue, format, and terms of the agreement.
“There will be no bilateral peace agreement for now. Various options are being discussed,” the sources added.
- Sanctions and energy are the number one issue.
One of the key points for Moscow is the lifting of sanctions and the return to the European oil and gas market.
“Trump gave a tough warning through Whitkoff: if the war does not stop, the US will deliver even more weapons to Ukraine. Accordingly, losses may increase. That’s why mobilization remains on the agenda,” the Kremlin explains.
So, the Kremlin continues to prepare for a long-term struggle, tightening control over the population and adapting to new challenges – from Internet shutdowns to mobilization.
