CNBC Daily Open: Of markets, tariffs and TACO
Thursday marked the culmination of quite a few deadlines the world has faced, as it rides the rollercoaster of Trump's tariff strategy. And while this deadline has been enforced, the tariffs are not really set in stone. Negotiations, of course, will keep happening, and countries could see some reprieve.
Remember, Trump walked back on "Liberation Day" tariffs a week after all the pomp and ceremony in the Rose Garden, and the July 9 deadline was pushed to Aug. 1, and then to Aug. 7. Steep tariffs announced on China have been on hold, with the deadline of Aug. 12 expected to be postponed.
So, while these might be the highest tariffs the world has seen since the Smoot-Hawley Act in the 1930s — are they here to stay?
Now, if you'd excuse me, the taco shop downstairs may be opening for business.The full list of U.S. tariffs around the world. After months of threats, deals, and posts on Truth Social, dozens of key U.S. trading partners were hit Thursday with "reciprocal" tariffs on their exports to the country. The U.S. has said that besides the list of countries here, all other exports to the U.S. will face a baseline 10% tariff rate.
Markets are mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gave back gains and closed lower on Thursday as investors pocketed some of their profits in a volatile session. In contrast, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced, and the S&P 500 was down marginally. In Asia, gains were led by Japan's Topix, which crossed the 3,000 threshold for the first time.
SoftBank at record high. Shares of SoftBank Group surged over 13% Friday to hit a fresh record, following the company's higher-than-expected fiscal first-quarter profit. The stock extended gains to a fourth session, and was on course to clock its best day in five years.
OpenAI launches new GPT-5 model. OpenAI on Thursday announced GPT-5, its latest and most advanced large-scale artificial intelligence model. The company is making GPT-5 available to everyone, including its free users. OpenAI said the model is smarter, faster and "a lot more useful," particularly across domains like writing, coding and health care.
[PRO] China trade talks benefit air freightThe uncertainty of the Trump Administration's ongoing trade talks with China has fueled airfreight traffic as traders try to get their goods into the U.S. before the Aug. 12 deadline.
Private equity investors want their money back — but it's tied up in 'zombie funds'
Private equity firms are struggling to sell the companies they own — and that's locking investors' money in aging funds with no clear exit in sight.
After years of booming deal activity following the global financial crisis of 2007-2009, the PE industry is now in a holding pattern. Managers are sitting on a growing number of unsold companies with delayed exits.
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Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq climb as Wall Street eyes Trump moves on Fed
US stocks rose on Friday as Wall Street assessed President Trump's nomination of Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and took in his new regime of sweeping tariffs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.5%, and the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) gained 0.7%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) climbed 0.8%. Gold futures (GC=F) in New York rose above London prices on Friday after the Financial Times reported that the US now plans to put tariffs on gold bar imports. Stocks had traded mixed during the day on Thursday as investors assessed a reshaped trade landscape after Trump's deadline for countries to strike deals on tariffs expired, setting in motion higher duties on dozens of countries worldwide. The indexes trimmed earlier losses following Trump's nomination of Stephen Miran, current chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, to serve on the Fed board. Read more: The latest on Trump's tariffs Miran's nomination must pass Senate approval, and it's unclear how long that might take with lawmakers on August recess. Trump's decision on Miran also underscored his search for the next Fed chair. He has talked up the "two Kevins" — current economic adviser Hassett and former Fed governor Warsh — and a report on Thursday said current governor Christopher Waller is seen as the favorite by Trump's team. Amid all the jockeying, about 90% of bets are on the current Fed to cut rates in September. This week has been a bumpy ride for Wall Street. Monday opened with markets recovering from a disappointing slew of job data that stoked fears of broader economic troubles and led to increased rate cut bets. Corporate earnings and the question of how companies like Apple (AAPL) might weather Trump's latest tariffs largely drove investor sentiment throughout the week. Altcoins rally after Ripple's stablecoin acquisition, Chainlink's reserve launch Altcoins were rallying early Friday following news that Ripple ( would buy a stablecoin payments platform and Chainlink will launch a funded reserve for its own tokens, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports. Conley writes: Read the full story here. Trade Desk tumbles after CEO warns of tariff impact on large brand advertisers Trade Desk (TTD) stock fell by more than a third during premarket trading on Friday after CEO Jeff Green warned that tariff uncertainty began to weigh on some leading global advertisers. If losses hold, the decline in Trade Desk stock would wipe out more than $12 billion from the company's market capitalization. The stock was off by 38% just after the opening bell. The Trade Desk, which specializes in helping advertisers buy and optimize digital ad campaigns, has concentrated on large global advertisers, making them more vulnerable to tariff uncertainty. "The impact of tariffs and related policies on these [large] businesses are very real," Green said on the earnings call. "Most others rely heavily on SMBs, and our platform is largely concentrated on the large global advertisers. So we see the effects that are directly impacting them." "I would argue that this is a short-term negative," he added, noting that the company's focus on large companies "is almost always a positive, but just in this moment, it's negative because of how uniquely they're being affected by the tariffs and related policies." The Trade Desk's second quarter earnings of $0.18 per share were in line with analyst estimates. Revenue of $694 million beat analyst estimates of $686 million, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. The company expects third quarter revenue of at least $717 million, roughly in line with estimates. Read more here. Stocks rise at the open US stocks moved higher at the open on Friday as investors continued to digest President Trump's sweeping tariffs and absorbed his nomination of Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.3%, while those on the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) gained 0.35%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) also gained nearly 0.4%. Gold rises after US Customs determines the metal is subject to Trump's tariffs Gold (GC=F) prices rose 0.85% on Friday to $3,483 per ounce as the industry learned that gold bars are not exempt from President Trump's latest across-the-board tariffs, which went into effect Thursday, as previously thought. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. SoundHound stock soars on record revenue fueled by AI, automation demand SoundHound AI (SOUN) reported record revenue in its second quarter results, as its expansion into new verticals, such as restaurants and hospitals, helped fuel 217% year-over-year revenue growth. The stock rocketed 2% higher in premarket trading on Friday. SoundHound develops artificial intelligence solutions that businesses use for automation and to create conversational experiences for their customers. In Q2, SoundHound reported strong growth in its automation, automotive, and enterprise AI for customer service verticals. The company posted a GAAP loss of $0.19 per share on $42.7 million in revenue. Last year, SoundHound reported a loss of $0.11 per share and revenue of $13 million. SoundHound also raised its 2025 revenue outlook to $160 million to $178 million, up from its previous forecast of $157 million to $177 million. "The investments we are making are already showing high returns," SoundHound CFO Nitesh Sharan said on the company's earnings call. Sharan noted that the company sees a path to profitability "in the near-term horizon. Listen to the earnings call here. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. Economic calendar: No notable releases. Earnings: Canopy Growth (CGC), fuboTV (FUBO), Wendy's (WEN) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Apple is back on Trump's good side. The cost? $600 billion. Not everyone on Wall Street is still convinced a cut is coming Trump's tariffs hit automakers with $11.7B blow — and rising Tesla disbands Dojo supercomputer team in blow to AI effort US sparks fresh turmoil in gold with surprise tariff Firefly stock loses altitude after sizzling stock market debut TSMC's July sales grow 26% on sustained demand for AI chips Under Armour forecasts downbeat quarterly sales, shares drop Intel CEO dogged by decades of China chip bets, board work China defends buying Russian oil after Trump's tariff threat SoftBank buys Foxconn's Ohio plant to jumpstart Stargate AI push Tesla CEO Elon Musk disbands Dojo supercomputer team Tesla (TSLA) stock fell 0.2% in premarket trading following news that CEO Elon Musk is shutting down the company's Dojo team, its multibillion-dollar supercomputer unit that was viewed as central to the company's AI efforts. Bloomberg reports that Peter Bannon, who was heading up Dojo, is leaving Tesla. Dojo also lost about 20 workers recently to DensityAI, a stealth startup created by ex-Tesla executives. The remaining Dojo employees are being reassigned to other compute projects within Tesla. Musk previously called Dojo "a long shot," but one worth taking. Now, Tesla plans to rely on partners like Nvidia (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) for training its AI models and machine learning that go into electric vehicles' Full Self-Driving software and Optimus robots. Tesla also announced a $16.5 billion deal last month with Samsung to secure AI chips through 2033. Read more here. Under Armour forecasts downbeat quarterly sales, shares drop Under Armour (UA) stock slumped 12% before the bell on Friday after the sportswear maker forecast second-quarter revenue below Wall Street estimates. The company is grappling with muted demand in North America due to still-high inflation and tariff uncertainty. Reuters reports: Read more here. New York gold futures spike over spot price after tariff shock Gold futures (GC=F) in New York rose above London prices after the FT reported that the US now plans to put tariffs on 1kg gold bar imports. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Oil heads for worst run since 2021 as traders discount US curbs Oil is heading for its longest losing run since 2021, as markets digested the US efforts to try and end the war in Ukraine and whether this would not impact overall supplies, alongside Trump's tariffs on India due to its purchase of Russian crude oil. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Altcoins rally after Ripple's stablecoin acquisition, Chainlink's reserve launch Altcoins were rallying early Friday following news that Ripple ( would buy a stablecoin payments platform and Chainlink will launch a funded reserve for its own tokens, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports. Conley writes: Read the full story here. Altcoins were rallying early Friday following news that Ripple ( would buy a stablecoin payments platform and Chainlink will launch a funded reserve for its own tokens, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports. Conley writes: Read the full story here. Trade Desk tumbles after CEO warns of tariff impact on large brand advertisers Trade Desk (TTD) stock fell by more than a third during premarket trading on Friday after CEO Jeff Green warned that tariff uncertainty began to weigh on some leading global advertisers. If losses hold, the decline in Trade Desk stock would wipe out more than $12 billion from the company's market capitalization. The stock was off by 38% just after the opening bell. The Trade Desk, which specializes in helping advertisers buy and optimize digital ad campaigns, has concentrated on large global advertisers, making them more vulnerable to tariff uncertainty. "The impact of tariffs and related policies on these [large] businesses are very real," Green said on the earnings call. "Most others rely heavily on SMBs, and our platform is largely concentrated on the large global advertisers. So we see the effects that are directly impacting them." "I would argue that this is a short-term negative," he added, noting that the company's focus on large companies "is almost always a positive, but just in this moment, it's negative because of how uniquely they're being affected by the tariffs and related policies." The Trade Desk's second quarter earnings of $0.18 per share were in line with analyst estimates. Revenue of $694 million beat analyst estimates of $686 million, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. The company expects third quarter revenue of at least $717 million, roughly in line with estimates. Read more here. Trade Desk (TTD) stock fell by more than a third during premarket trading on Friday after CEO Jeff Green warned that tariff uncertainty began to weigh on some leading global advertisers. If losses hold, the decline in Trade Desk stock would wipe out more than $12 billion from the company's market capitalization. The stock was off by 38% just after the opening bell. The Trade Desk, which specializes in helping advertisers buy and optimize digital ad campaigns, has concentrated on large global advertisers, making them more vulnerable to tariff uncertainty. "The impact of tariffs and related policies on these [large] businesses are very real," Green said on the earnings call. "Most others rely heavily on SMBs, and our platform is largely concentrated on the large global advertisers. So we see the effects that are directly impacting them." "I would argue that this is a short-term negative," he added, noting that the company's focus on large companies "is almost always a positive, but just in this moment, it's negative because of how uniquely they're being affected by the tariffs and related policies." The Trade Desk's second quarter earnings of $0.18 per share were in line with analyst estimates. Revenue of $694 million beat analyst estimates of $686 million, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. The company expects third quarter revenue of at least $717 million, roughly in line with estimates. Read more here. Stocks rise at the open US stocks moved higher at the open on Friday as investors continued to digest President Trump's sweeping tariffs and absorbed his nomination of Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.3%, while those on the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) gained 0.35%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) also gained nearly 0.4%. US stocks moved higher at the open on Friday as investors continued to digest President Trump's sweeping tariffs and absorbed his nomination of Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.3%, while those on the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) gained 0.35%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) also gained nearly 0.4%. Gold rises after US Customs determines the metal is subject to Trump's tariffs Gold (GC=F) prices rose 0.85% on Friday to $3,483 per ounce as the industry learned that gold bars are not exempt from President Trump's latest across-the-board tariffs, which went into effect Thursday, as previously thought. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Gold (GC=F) prices rose 0.85% on Friday to $3,483 per ounce as the industry learned that gold bars are not exempt from President Trump's latest across-the-board tariffs, which went into effect Thursday, as previously thought. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. SoundHound stock soars on record revenue fueled by AI, automation demand SoundHound AI (SOUN) reported record revenue in its second quarter results, as its expansion into new verticals, such as restaurants and hospitals, helped fuel 217% year-over-year revenue growth. The stock rocketed 2% higher in premarket trading on Friday. SoundHound develops artificial intelligence solutions that businesses use for automation and to create conversational experiences for their customers. In Q2, SoundHound reported strong growth in its automation, automotive, and enterprise AI for customer service verticals. The company posted a GAAP loss of $0.19 per share on $42.7 million in revenue. Last year, SoundHound reported a loss of $0.11 per share and revenue of $13 million. SoundHound also raised its 2025 revenue outlook to $160 million to $178 million, up from its previous forecast of $157 million to $177 million. "The investments we are making are already showing high returns," SoundHound CFO Nitesh Sharan said on the company's earnings call. Sharan noted that the company sees a path to profitability "in the near-term horizon. Listen to the earnings call here. SoundHound AI (SOUN) reported record revenue in its second quarter results, as its expansion into new verticals, such as restaurants and hospitals, helped fuel 217% year-over-year revenue growth. The stock rocketed 2% higher in premarket trading on Friday. SoundHound develops artificial intelligence solutions that businesses use for automation and to create conversational experiences for their customers. In Q2, SoundHound reported strong growth in its automation, automotive, and enterprise AI for customer service verticals. The company posted a GAAP loss of $0.19 per share on $42.7 million in revenue. Last year, SoundHound reported a loss of $0.11 per share and revenue of $13 million. SoundHound also raised its 2025 revenue outlook to $160 million to $178 million, up from its previous forecast of $157 million to $177 million. "The investments we are making are already showing high returns," SoundHound CFO Nitesh Sharan said on the company's earnings call. Sharan noted that the company sees a path to profitability "in the near-term horizon. Listen to the earnings call here. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. Economic calendar: No notable releases. Earnings: Canopy Growth (CGC), fuboTV (FUBO), Wendy's (WEN) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Apple is back on Trump's good side. The cost? $600 billion. Not everyone on Wall Street is still convinced a cut is coming Trump's tariffs hit automakers with $11.7B blow — and rising Tesla disbands Dojo supercomputer team in blow to AI effort US sparks fresh turmoil in gold with surprise tariff Firefly stock loses altitude after sizzling stock market debut TSMC's July sales grow 26% on sustained demand for AI chips Under Armour forecasts downbeat quarterly sales, shares drop Intel CEO dogged by decades of China chip bets, board work China defends buying Russian oil after Trump's tariff threat SoftBank buys Foxconn's Ohio plant to jumpstart Stargate AI push Economic calendar: No notable releases. Earnings: Canopy Growth (CGC), fuboTV (FUBO), Wendy's (WEN) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Apple is back on Trump's good side. The cost? $600 billion. Not everyone on Wall Street is still convinced a cut is coming Trump's tariffs hit automakers with $11.7B blow — and rising Tesla disbands Dojo supercomputer team in blow to AI effort US sparks fresh turmoil in gold with surprise tariff Firefly stock loses altitude after sizzling stock market debut TSMC's July sales grow 26% on sustained demand for AI chips Under Armour forecasts downbeat quarterly sales, shares drop Intel CEO dogged by decades of China chip bets, board work China defends buying Russian oil after Trump's tariff threat SoftBank buys Foxconn's Ohio plant to jumpstart Stargate AI push Tesla CEO Elon Musk disbands Dojo supercomputer team Tesla (TSLA) stock fell 0.2% in premarket trading following news that CEO Elon Musk is shutting down the company's Dojo team, its multibillion-dollar supercomputer unit that was viewed as central to the company's AI efforts. Bloomberg reports that Peter Bannon, who was heading up Dojo, is leaving Tesla. Dojo also lost about 20 workers recently to DensityAI, a stealth startup created by ex-Tesla executives. The remaining Dojo employees are being reassigned to other compute projects within Tesla. Musk previously called Dojo "a long shot," but one worth taking. Now, Tesla plans to rely on partners like Nvidia (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) for training its AI models and machine learning that go into electric vehicles' Full Self-Driving software and Optimus robots. Tesla also announced a $16.5 billion deal last month with Samsung to secure AI chips through 2033. Read more here. Tesla (TSLA) stock fell 0.2% in premarket trading following news that CEO Elon Musk is shutting down the company's Dojo team, its multibillion-dollar supercomputer unit that was viewed as central to the company's AI efforts. Bloomberg reports that Peter Bannon, who was heading up Dojo, is leaving Tesla. Dojo also lost about 20 workers recently to DensityAI, a stealth startup created by ex-Tesla executives. The remaining Dojo employees are being reassigned to other compute projects within Tesla. Musk previously called Dojo "a long shot," but one worth taking. Now, Tesla plans to rely on partners like Nvidia (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) for training its AI models and machine learning that go into electric vehicles' Full Self-Driving software and Optimus robots. Tesla also announced a $16.5 billion deal last month with Samsung to secure AI chips through 2033. Read more here. Under Armour forecasts downbeat quarterly sales, shares drop Under Armour (UA) stock slumped 12% before the bell on Friday after the sportswear maker forecast second-quarter revenue below Wall Street estimates. The company is grappling with muted demand in North America due to still-high inflation and tariff uncertainty. Reuters reports: Read more here. Under Armour (UA) stock slumped 12% before the bell on Friday after the sportswear maker forecast second-quarter revenue below Wall Street estimates. The company is grappling with muted demand in North America due to still-high inflation and tariff uncertainty. Reuters reports: Read more here. New York gold futures spike over spot price after tariff shock Gold futures (GC=F) in New York rose above London prices after the FT reported that the US now plans to put tariffs on 1kg gold bar imports. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Gold futures (GC=F) in New York rose above London prices after the FT reported that the US now plans to put tariffs on 1kg gold bar imports. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Oil heads for worst run since 2021 as traders discount US curbs Oil is heading for its longest losing run since 2021, as markets digested the US efforts to try and end the war in Ukraine and whether this would not impact overall supplies, alongside Trump's tariffs on India due to its purchase of Russian crude oil. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Oil is heading for its longest losing run since 2021, as markets digested the US efforts to try and end the war in Ukraine and whether this would not impact overall supplies, alongside Trump's tariffs on India due to its purchase of Russian crude oil. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
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Minerva Foods flags potential $300m-plus revenue impact from US tariffs
Minerva Foods, one of Brazil's largest meat processors, has quantified the potential impact on revenue from President Donald Trump's tariffs. Trump exercised his pledge made in July on Wednesday (6 August) to raise import tariffs on Brazilian goods to 50% from 10%, prompting President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to request talks with the World Trade Organization. While some Brazilian products are exempt from the US import levies, meat, poultry and coffee are not. The same day those increased tariffs went into effect, Minerva Foods issued its second-quarter fiscal 2025 results. The meat giant said in an accompanying presentation that the impact would amount to an estimated 5% of its net revenue, which based on the full-year 2024 results would equate to around 1.71bn reais ($314.6m), in historical terms. Minerva Foods booked revenue in 2024 of 34.1bn reais. 'Based on the results of the last 12 months, the company's consolidated exposure to the US market accounted for approximately 16% of revenue, with Brazil representing around 30% of that exposure,' the company said on Wednesday. 'Therefore, Brazilian exports subject to the new tariff policy may have a maximum potential impact estimated 5% of net revenue.' However, Minerva Foods explained it may have a certain element of leverage due to its geographical diversity in meat supply to the US. 'The company hereby announces that it accesses the US market through its operations in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Australia. 'It is worth noting that, in line with our geographic diversification strategy, exposure to the US market also takes place through our operations in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Australia, allowing the company to maximise its ability to arbitrate between markets, reduce risks, leverage opportunities, and respond efficiently to scenario changes such as this one.' The Brazilian president said in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday that 'he saw no room for direct talks' with Trump at present, in what would amount to a "humiliation". Lula described US-Brazil relations at a 200-year nadir after Trump tied the new tariff to his demands for an end to the prosecution of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is standing trial for plotting to overturn the 2022 election, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Minerva Foods said it posted revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2025 of 13.9bn reais, an 81.6% increase from a year earlier. The company confirmed in its results presentation that it concluded the acquisition in October of assets in Brazil, Argentina and Chile from meat rival Marfrig Global Foods. It included 11 plants and a distribution centre in Brazil, a facility in Argentina, and a factory in Chile for a total consideration of 7.5bn reais. When the proposed asset deal with Marfrig was first announced in 2023, three plants in Uruguay were also included. However, that part of the transaction was subsequently blocked by Uruguay's competition regulator, La Comisión de Promoción y Defensa de la Competencia (Coprodec), in May last year. Minerva Foods then submitted a revised proposal with the antitrust authority in February this year, with the provision to sell one of the factories post conclusion of the deal. The company said in the second-quarter results presentation that it is still awaiting a response from Coprodec. Elsewhere in the latest results, Minerva Foods' EBITDA print almost doubled to 1.3bn reais from 744.6m reais a year earlier, although the margin dipped to 9.4% from 9.7%. Based on an almost 40% increase in meat volumes, net income surged to 458.3m reais from 95.4m reais. 'Minerva Foods' strong international footprint remains one of the key pillars of our performance. In 2Q-25, approximately 60% of consolidated gross revenue came from international markets, underscoring our export-oriented strategy and the competitiveness of our South American assets,' it said. "Minerva Foods flags potential $300m-plus revenue impact from US tariffs" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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US and Russia Plan Truce Deal to Cement Putin's Gains in Ukraine
(Bloomberg) -- Washington and Moscow are aiming to reach a deal to halt the war in Ukraine that would lock in Russia's occupation of territory seized during its military invasion, according to people familiar with the matter. All Hail the Humble Speed Hump Three Deaths Reported as NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Spreads Mayor Asked to Explain $1.4 Billion of Wasted Johannesburg Funds Major Istanbul Projects Are Stalling as City Leaders Sit in Jail What England's New National Cycling Network Needs to Get Rolling US and Russian officials are working toward an agreement on territories for a planned summit meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as early as next week, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. The US is working to get buy-in from Ukraine and its European allies on the deal, which is far from certain, the people said. Putin is demanding that Ukraine cede its entire eastern Donbas area to Russia as well as Crimea, which his forces illegally annexed in 2014. That would require Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to order a withdrawal of troops from parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions still held by Kyiv, handing Russia a victory that its army couldn't achieve militarily since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Such an outcome would represent a major win for Putin, who has long sought direct negotiations with the US on terms for ending the war that he started, sidelining Ukraine and its European allies. Zelenskiy risks being presented with a take-it-or-leave-it deal to accept the loss of Ukrainian territory, while Europe fears it would be left to monitor a ceasefire as Putin rebuilds his forces. Russia would halt its offensive in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine along the current battlelines as part of the deal, the people said. They cautioned that the terms and plans of the accord were still in flux and could still change. It's unclear if Moscow is prepared to give up any land that it currently occupies, which includes the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe. The White House didn't reply to a request to comment. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov didn't immediately respond to a request to comment. Ukraine declined to comment on the proposals. The agreement aims essentially to freeze the war and pave the way for a ceasefire and technical talks on a definitive peace settlement, the people said. The US had earlier been pushing for Russia to agree first to an unconditional ceasefire to create space for negotiations on ending the war that's now in its fourth year. Having returned to the White House in January on a pledge to rapidly resolve Europe's worst conflict since World War II, Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Putin's refusal to agree to a ceasefire. The two leaders held six phone calls since February and Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin five times in Russia to try to broker an agreement. Trump hasn't implemented any direct measures against Moscow so far, though he doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% this week for its purchases of Russian oil, sparking outrage in New Delhi. He has demanded that Putin agree to a ceasefire by Friday or the US would act to impose tariffs on countries buying Russian oil to ramp up economic pressure on Moscow. Putin has repeatedly insisted that his war goals remain unchanged. They include demands for Kyiv to accept neutral status and abandon its ambition of NATO membership, and to accept the loss of Crimea and the other four eastern and southern Ukrainian regions to Russia. Parts of Donetsk and Luhansk have been under Russian occupation since 2014, when the Kremlin incited separatist violence shortly after the operation to seize Crimea. Putin declared the four Ukrainian regions to be 'forever' part of Russia after announcing that he was annexing them in September 2022, even as his forces have never fully controlled those territories. Ukraine cannot constitutionally cede territory and it has said it won't recognize Russian occupation and annexation of its land. It's still unclear if Putin would agree to take part in a trilateral meeting with Trump and Zelenskiy next week, even if he had already struck an agreement with the US president, the people added. The Russian leader told reporters on Thursday that he didn't object to meeting Zelenskiy under the right conditions, though he said they don't exist now. Multiple officials, including in the US, have expressed skepticism over Putin's willingness to call a halt to the war and whether he's genuinely interested in a peace deal that would fall short of his stated goals in Ukraine, according to the people. Trump said on Thursday that he'd be willing to meet with Putin, even if the Russian leader hadn't agreed to also sit down with Zelenskiy, apparently overriding earlier suggestions of a trilateral meeting. 'I don't like long waits,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'They would like to meet with me and I will do whatever I can to stop the killing.' Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday that Russian and US officials are finalizing details for a meeting within the next few days and that they have agreed on a venue, which he didn't name. The US had previously offered to recognize Crimea as Russian as part of any deal to halt the war, and to effectively cede Russian control of parts of other Ukrainian regions. As part of those earlier proposals, control over areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson would be returned to Ukraine. The Pizza Oven Startup With a Plan to Own Every Piece of the Pie Digital Nomads Are Transforming Medellín's Housing Russia's Secret War and the Plot to Kill a German CEO It's Only a Matter of Time Until Americans Pay for Trump's Tariffs The Game Starts at 8. The Robbery Starts at 8:01 ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
