Vance's U.K. talks yield "significant progress" ahead of Trump-Putin summit: Source

• Trump and Putin are set to meet in Alaska on August 15.

Zoom in: Saturday meetings between Vance, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and representatives of Ukraine and European allies happened at the Chevening House in Kent, England, after being confirmed by a U.S. official and three sources with knowledge of the plans.

• The idea for an in-person meeting in the U.K. came up in a conference call on Friday between U.S., Ukrainian and European officials, the third such call in as many days.
• The Ukrainian and European officials told Vance that an immediate ceasefire should be the first step and that Ukraine shouldn't give up any territory in exchange for a ceasefire, according to a Ukrainian official.
• The official said Ukraine made clear in the meeting that once there is a ceasefire, it is ready to negotiate an end to the war — starting at the leaders level.

What they're saying: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the meeting was "constructive" and that his chief of staff Andriy Yermak presented Ukraine's positions and arguments to Vance.

• "Ukraine and all partners share the same understanding of the need for a ceasefire," Zelensky said, adding that Putin is trying to secure territory in exchange for a pause in the war. "It is important that this does not mislead anyone," he stressed.

Driving the news: The new momentum in Ukraine talks started earlier this week after White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow, just two days before Trump's ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum for Putin was due to expire.

• While Trump signed an executive order earlier this week that allows sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil, and also announced a planned tariff hike on India, he didn't announce new sanctions as planned on Friday.

Behind the scenes: On Wednesday, Trump held a conference call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders to brief them on Witkoff's meeting with Putin.

• Two sources said Witkoff told the participants that Putin agreed to end the war if Ukraine agrees to cede its Luhansk and Donetsk regions, which Russian forces have mostly occupied since the invasion, as well as Crimea.
• According to the sources, at least some participants of the call came away with the impression Putin had agreed to give up his claim to two other Ukrainian territories that Russia partially controls: Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. That would have been a meaningful concession relative to previous Russian positions.

However, when Witkoff held another video call with senior Ukrainian and European officials the next day, he said Putin had agreed to freeze Russia's current positions in those regions.

• That would leave significant parts of both under Russian occupation, including the strategic Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

• During the latest conference call, on Friday, the parties discussed the possibility of meeting in-person to try to coordinate a joint position.
• "We focused on coordinating positions to bring a sustainable and just peace for Ukraine as soon as possible. We are ready to work as productively as possible to save lives and stop the fighting," Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote on X after the call.

Between the lines: Ukrainian officials say they're confused about the details of the Russian proposal, and about the U.S. position.

• A Ukrainian official told Axios that even if Zelensky agreed to Putin's demands, he would need to call a referendum because he can't cede territory under Ukraine's constitution.

What's next: Trump said his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place next Friday in Alaska.

• This will be their first meeting since 2019, and comes after Trump had grown increasingly frustrated over Putin's unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire or negotiate earnestly toward a peace deal with Ukraine.

Trump claimed on Friday "we are getting very close" to a deal.

• He said the potential deal would include "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both countries" and stressed he is trying to get some of the territory Russia occupied during the war back to Ukraine.
• Trump said Zelensky is making arrangements that will allow him "to sign something" in a way the doesn't violate Ukrainian law.

The White House has declined to comment about the ally meetings.

Go deeper:

• Witkoff to brief Ukrainian and NATO officials on Putin meeting
• Putin says he wants to meet Trump, possibly in UAE

Editor's note: This story has been updated with details about Vance's meetings and additional context.