Russian Invasion

The Fighting
Putin shows no sign of caring about Trump's threats

Vladimir Putin shows no sign of giving in to the Ukraine war, a week before Donald Trump's deadline expires, The Guardian reports.

On Friday, he repeated his usual talking points to Russian journalists:

- We need a lasting and stable peace on a solid basis that satisfies both Russia and Ukraine and protects the security of both countries.

Trump has given Putin until August 8 to conclude an agreement to end the war, and has threatened new sanctions if he does not.

Putin: Serial production of new missile has begun

Russia has begun serial production of the new Oreshnik ballistic missile, Vladimir Putin said according to the AP.

The military has selected sites in Belarus where the missile will be manufactured, Putin said at a press conference with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.

– Preparations are underway, and it will likely be completed before the end of the year.

The powerful, hypersonic missile was used for the first time against a factory in Dnipro, Ukraine, last winter. According to eyewitnesses, explosions were heard from the factory for several hours after the attack. 

The world's response
Trump orders nuclear submarines to "appropriate areas" near Russia

Donald Trump has ordered two nuclear submarines to "appropriate areas" outside Russia in response to "provocative" comments from Russia, he writes on Truth Social.

According to Trump, the statements come from Dmitry Medvedev, former president and now deputy chairman of the Russian National Security Council.

"Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those cases," the American president writes without specifying which statements are involved.

In a post on X earlier this week, Medvedev wrote that every new ultimatum from the United States is a threat and a step towards war. On Thursday, Medvedev also took the opportunity to remind Trump that Moscow has Soviet-era nuclear weapons capabilities to use as a last resort, writes Sky News.

The Negotiations
Zelensky: Ready to meet if Putin is serious

Volodymyr Zelensky wants a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin to try to bring about a ceasefire.

Zelensky said this according to Reuters shortly after Putin said in a statement that he stands by his goals in Ukraine, but hopes to be able to find a compromise.

"If these are signals of a genuine desire to end the war with dignity and achieve a truly lasting peace ... then Ukraine reiterates that we are ready to meet at the leadership level at any time," writes Zelensky on X.