Putin ready to meet Zelensky, but sends chilling nuke warning to Trump as deadline nears

Kremlin reports Putin's readiness for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky after expert preparations. Donald Trump sets an August 8 deadline for Russia to make peace or face sanctions. Russia continues attacks, ignoring US pressure. Trump warns of nuclea...

AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky amid growing nuclear tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump, as nuclear submarines move closer to Russia.
Putin is ready to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but only after "preparatory work is done at the expert level" — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov confirmed no such preparatory work has started yet. In the past, Putin rejected several proposals from Zelensky for face-to-face peace talks.

Recently, Putin claimed there was some positive progress in peace talks, but added that Russia currently holds the advantage in the war. Donald Trump has given Russia a 10–12 day deadline to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine — cutting down the previous 50-day wait time, as per the report by The Sun.

This means Russia has until August 8 to make peace, or face crippling new sanctions from the U.S. Despite this, Russia continues to launch attacks on Ukraine, ignoring U.S. pressure. The Kremlin warned everyone to be "very, very careful" about nuclear threats, responding for the first time to Trump’s warning of nuclear preparedness.


Trump had ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to be moved near Russian territory, saying the U.S. is “totally prepared” for nuclear war. This came after Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president, threatened the U.S. with nuclear retaliation, as stated by The Sun.

ALSO READ: Denmark zoo sparks outrage for asking public to donate pets, and even horses for feeding tigers and lions

The Kremlin dismissed Trump’s move, saying U.S. submarines are already on constant combat duty anyway. Peskov added they did not want to escalate or argue publicly about nuclear threats. Trump said he’s frustrated with Putin, claiming their last phone call didn’t make any progress on ending the war.

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Putin has ramped up bombing raids, launching close to 1,000 drones and missiles a day, instead of slowing down attacks. A few days ago, 31 people died — including 5 children — in Kyiv, after Russia hit a residential tower with an Iskander missile, according to the report by The Sun.

Russia keeps attacking as peace talks stall

Over the weekend, Putin said again he wants peace, but also confirmed that his conditions for ending the war remain unchanged. Trump slammed Medvedev’s threats as “foolish and inflammatory” and then ordered the submarine deployments. In the post, Trump didn’t clarify whether the submarines were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed, and didn’t reveal their exact location.

In a later Newsmax interview, Trump said the submarines were "closer to Russia", and that it was important to be “ready.” Medvedev warned the U.S. about Russia’s possible use of its “Dead Hand” doomsday nuclear system, and mocked Trump by referencing zombie movies, as per The Sun report.

Nuclear threats grow as Trump sends submarines

Medvedev said that “each new ultimatum is a step toward war,” and that Russia won’t back down. In response, Trump posted a warning that “words are important” and can lead to dangerous consequences, hoping this wouldn’t become one. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will be visiting Moscow next week, on Wednesday or Thursday, for more talks.

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The Kremlin welcomed Witkoff’s visit, calling it “important, substantial, and helpful” — and said a meeting with Putin is scheduled. Witkoff has met Putin several times before, but has failed to convince him to agree to a ceasefire. Back in May, Zelensky challenged Putin to meet face-to-face, but Putin refused, saying he would only meet if a deal was already in place.

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Russia wants Ukraine to give up four regions it claims to have annexed, which Ukraine has rejected outright. Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its NATO plans, which remains a key sticking point in peace talks, according to the report by The Sun.

FAQs

Q1. Can I donate my pet to Aalborg Zoo in Denmark?
Yes, Aalborg Zoo accepts healthy chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and even horses to feed their predators.

Q2. Why is Aalborg Zoo using pets and horses to feed animals?
The zoo says feeding whole animals helps tigers and lions eat like they do in the wild and stay healthy.
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