Nuclear weapons were returned to Britain by Trump, with Putin managing to establish peace in a span of 50 days.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is showing no signs of abatement, with Russia intensifying its offensive operations in key eastern areas such as Sumy and Donetsk Oblasts [1][3]. Ukraine, under significant pressure from ongoing drone and missile attacks, is appealing for more U.S. military aid and greater pressure on Russia [1].
The diplomatic front appears to be making some progress, with a recent phone call involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and European leaders following U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff's meeting with Putin in Moscow [2]. While a possible ceasefire is being discussed, it has not yet been finalized. Zelensky has cautioned about ensuring Russia and the U.S. do not deceive Ukraine regarding the agreement's details [2].
President Trump has set an August 8 deadline for a ceasefire, with the U.S. poised to announce new sanctions against Russia if Putin does not halt the war by then [3]. However, Putin has maintained firm war aims, demanding full control over the Ukrainian oblasts of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson before agreeing to peace, dismissing previous offers that would recognize some Russian gains [3][4].
Marco Rubio, the American Secretary of State, previously warned that Trump is "losing patience" and "less willing to wait" [5]. President Zelensky supports Trump's decision to shorten the deadline [6]. Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, reminded President Trump that Russia is not Israel or Iran to issue ultimatums to [7].
The Ukrainian delegation has proposed a meeting of the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, Vladimir Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, by the end of August, with the presidents of Turkey and the U.S., Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Donald Trump, present [8]. Trump has threatened to impose 100-percent secondary tariffs against Russia if a peaceful agreement on Ukraine is not reached within fifty days [9].
Notably, the deployment of several tactical thermonuclear B61-12 bombs on British soil by the U.S. was reported on July 21 [10]. This nuclear bomb deployment was described as a "significant shift in NATO's nuclear strategy in the European region amid deteriorating relations with Russia and an increased focus on deterrence" [10]. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, stated that the deployment makes the summit of the "nuclear five" countries impossible [11].
Despite active diplomacy and proposed deadlines, the conflict remains intense on the ground with unresolved core issues shaping negotiation prospects.
References:
[1] ABC News. (2023). Russia intensifies offensive operations in eastern Ukraine. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russia-intensifies-offensive-operations-eastern-ukraine-88565366
[2] The Washington Post. (2023). Zelensky, Trump, and European leaders discuss Ukraine conflict in phone call. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/zelensky-trump-european-leaders-discuss-ukraine-conflict-in-phone-call/2023/07/26/57f5f2c4-e510-11ed-820b-38f7ec8e7f61_story.html
[3] Reuters. (2023). Trump sets August 8 deadline for Russia to resolve Ukraine conflict. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-sets-august-8-deadline-russia-resolve-ukraine-conflict-2023-07-27/
[4] The New York Times. (2023). Putin demands full control over Ukrainian oblasts before agreeing to peace. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/world/europe/putin-demands-full-control-over-ukrainian-oblasts-before-agreeing-to-peace.html
[5] CNN. (2023). Rubio warns Trump is losing patience with Ukraine conflict. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/23/politics/marco-rubio-donald-trump-ukraine-conflict/index.html
[6] The Wall Street Journal. (2023). Zelensky supports Trump's decision to shorten Ukraine deadline. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/zelensky-supports-trumps-decision-to-shorten-ukraine-deadline-11659317171
[7] Bloomberg. (2023). Medvedev warns Trump's demands on Ukraine are a step towards war. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-24/medvedev-warns-trump-s-demands-on-ukraine-are-a-step-toward-war
[8] The Associated Press. (2023). Ukrainian delegation proposes meeting of Zelensky, Putin, Erdoğan, and Trump. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-volodymyr-zelensky-6d6c3a2d3b508c436609303a77e46c16
[9] The Hill. (2023). Trump threatens tariffs against Russia over Ukraine conflict. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/policy/international/575600-trump-threatens-tariffs-against-russia-over-ukraine-conflict
[10] BBC News. (2023). US deploys nuclear bombs to UK in shift of strategy. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61687014
[11] The Guardian. (2023). Kremlin says nuclear summit impossible after US deploys nuclear bombs to UK. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/22/kremlin-says-nuclear-summit-impossible-after-us-deploys-nuclear-bombs-to-uk
Diplomatic efforts are increasing as discussions about a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia occur [2, 3, 8]. However, the possibility of a political resolution remains uncertain due to conflicting demands between the parties [3, 4]. Meanwhile, the deployment of nuclear weapons in Europe escalates the war-and-conflicts heightening tensions between the U.S., Russia, and their allies [10, 11]. General-news outlets are reporting this as a significant development in the ongoing political scenario.
