Russia Holds Nuclear Drills After the US Postpones the Putin-Trump Summit
Moscow conducts massive nuclear drills one day after Washington canceled arrangements for a summit between Trump and Putin in Hungary.
Russia declared Wednesday that it had carried out a significant nuclear weapons training exercise, one day after the US postponed preparations for a second summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
The head of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, was shown in footage provided by the Kremlin reporting to Putin on the exercises, which included simulated launching of intercontinental ballistic missiles that might reach the United States.
Throughout the conflict in Ukraine, Putin has frequently emphasized Russia’s nuclear capability as a warning to Kyiv and its friends in the West. Additionally, NATO has been practicing nuclear deterrence this month.
Trump and Putin agreed to meet in Hungary last week, which the Kremlin suggested may happen in a few weeks. But following a phone conversation between the two nations’ senior ambassadors on Monday, the White House declared that Trump had no plans to meet with Putin “in the immediate future.” Trump expressed his desire to avoid a “wasted meeting,” a sentiment that Moscow also echoed.
Despite the postponement, Russian authorities stated that the summit was still being prepared. Although the dates are not yet determined, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said reporters that careful planning is required beforehand, which takes time.
The postponement came after fresh negotiations on Russia’s demands for a peace agreement with Ukraine. In essentially rejecting Trump’s proposal that both parties maintain positions along existing front lines, three sources told reporters that Moscow had reaffirmed its demand that Kyiv give up complete control of the southeastern Donbas region.
According to Reuters, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency RIA that he was unable to verify whether Moscow had expressed such stance. According to reports, Ryabkov stated, “The summit preparations are still ongoing.” “I see no significant obstacles.”
He went on to say: “I acknowledge that it’s a challenging process, but that’s exactly what diplomats are for.”
As ambiguity around the US-led peace attempt grew, Russia and Ukraine engaged in a massive missile fire exchange overnight. Russian strikes in Kyiv and surrounding areas killed six people, including two children, according to Ukrainian officials, causing extensive power outages across the country.
