The US raises the stakes amid Russia’s threats. In response to Moscow’s threats, American President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines closer to Russia. The Times reports that this is not just a show of force but a personal message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

This exchange significantly escalated nuclear rhetoric between the two powers, underscoring the growing intertwining of the Ukraine war with nuclear deterrence.

US nuclear submarines head toward Russia

The American president responded in his trademark style — tough and theatrical. In a Truth Social post, Trump announced the relocation of two nuclear submarines to relevant regions.

This move is not just a military maneuver but a strategic political signal. Trump is responding less to Medvedev’s rhetoric and more to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rejection of Trump’s ceasefire proposal in Ukraine.

After the strike on Kyiv that killed 31 people, including five children, Putin confirmed that Russia’s conditions for ending the war, announced back in summer 2024, remain unchanged. He added that Russia is ready to wait until Ukraine agrees to Moscow’s conditions. 

Among them are:

• The withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia
• Ukraine’s refusal of NATO membership
• Ukraine’s non-nuclear status
• Sanctions’ lift

What does the submarine deployment mean?

The US possesses 71 nuclear-powered submarines, including 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile subs, each capable of carrying up to 20 Trident II nuclear warheads. At any given moment, 8 to 10 of them are at sea. The White House said that this is not provocation but deterrence.

Sanctions, tariffs, and the energy war

In addition to military signals, Trump threatens secondary sanctions against buyers of Russian energy. India is already feeling the heat — partial tariffs of 25% have been imposed. In the danger zone are China and Brazil, which remain key importers of Russian gas.

These statements show that Trump’s policy toward Russia is rapidly changing, and the US pressure against Moscow is also increasing. 

Europe has honored a Ukrainian hero who saved lives under Russian fire. Combat medic Volodymyr Ryzhenko, call sign “Druh Sprite”, from the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov, has been named “Best European Medic of the Year” in the Military Medicine category, according to Ukraine’s National Guard. 

Awarded at Europe’s top military medicine conference

Ryzhenko received his award during the Combat Medical Care Conference 2025, Europe’s largest military medical summit, held in Germany with over 1,400 experts from 44 countries. The event was co-hosted by the German Bundeswehr.

A blood drop from the sky

In winter 2025, Druh Sprite made headlines after he saved a wounded comrade under enemy fire by performing an emergency blood transfusion using donor blood delivered by drone.

“It was a matter of minutes. Without that blood from the sky, he wouldn’t have made it,” his unit reported.

The act has become a landmark in the evolution of combat medical care.

Ukrainian medics share expertise globally

A three-member Azov medical team represented Ukraine at the conference, sharing first-hand battlefield experience.

• Lt. Serhii Rotchuk (“Druh Jedi”) presented innovations in medical logistics,

• Olha Tagirova (“Krava”) discussed treating wounded soldiers beyond the golden hour and the systematic training of personnel.

A sword for courage: a symbol of strength

Alongside the award, Ryzhenko received a ceremonial sword, a symbol of bravery, dignity, and strength. The honor highlights not only his personal heroism but also the excellence of Ukrainian military medicine, which continues to save lives on the front lines every day.

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has cynically commented on the war in Ukraine for the first time since US President Donald Trump issued his 10-day ultimatum on Russia. Last week, the American president gave Russia ten days to reach a peaceful settlement, threatening massive sanctions if this does not happen by 8 August, UNIAN reports.

Moscow is ready to wait

During a meeting with the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin spoke positively about the negotiations in Turkiye and the prisoner exchanges, stating that Moscow is “ready to wait” if Kyiv is not prepared for talks.

At the same time, he said the Ukrainian political regime “is not based on the Constitution” and supports prolonged negotiations “without any time limits.”

In June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the Kremlin used prisoner exchanges as a tool to delay the negotiation process with Ukraine and dodge sanctions. While sending back Ukrainian prisoners of war, beaten and tortured in captivity, Russia does not agree to any other proposition to end the war. 

Ukrainian soldier dies weeks after release from Russian captivity with his organs failing due to torture

Kremlin’s conditions remain the same as last year 

Putin confirmed that Russia’s conditions for ending the war, announced back in summer 2024, remain unchanged.

Last year, he insisted on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Moscow has illegally incorporated these Ukrainian regions into its Constitution. Additionally, Russia demands that Ukraine renounce NATO membership, enshrine a non-nuclear status, and lift sanctions.

Lukashenko says Zelenskyy should ask Putin to negotiate

In talks with propagandists, Putin boasted about the production of the first serial ballistic missile Oreshnik and the Russian army’s offensive along the entire front line.

In 2024, Russia used a Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) missile armed with conventional warheads to strike Dnipro. While MIRV technology has long been associated with nuclear delivery systems, this marked its first use in combat. The scale of the destruction remains unknown. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia targeted industrial facilities and critical infrastructure in Dnipro.

Meanwhile, Lukashenko urged Zelenskyy “to simply sit down at the negotiating table” with Putin and emphasized that Minsk and Moscow will not kneel because they decisively defend their interests.

Estonia’s permanent representative to NATO, Ambassador Jüri Luik, said on 28 July 2025, on Vikerraadio — Estonian Public Broadcasting’s main radio channel — that Europe cannot realistically mount a credible defense against Russia without Ukraine’s involvement, highlighting Ukraine’s indispensable role in sustaining European security architecture.

“If Europe manages to achieve some kind of peace or truce [in Ukraine — EMP], or if we talk about Europe being able to defend itself against Russia, it is very difficult to imagine such a defense without Ukraine,” Luik said.

European and NATO intelligence agencies have increasingly warned of a growing hybrid and conventional threat from Russia, particularly toward NATO member states. Moscow appears to be preparing a multifaceted campaign — including sabotage of critical infrastructure, disinformation operations, and electronic warfare — aimed at projecting pressure beyond Ukraine’s borders. In the Baltic region, disruptions to undersea cables and power infrastructure — including the Estlink cable between Estonia and Finland — have raised alarms over possible sabotage by the so-called Russian “shadow fleet.”

Luik emphasized in the interview that Ukraine’s large and battle-hardened ground forces are essential not only for defending its own territory but also for enabling a cohesive European defense posture — one that can operate independently of US military dominance and deter potential Russian aggression.

Estonia and Ukraine have deepened bilateral cooperation since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, including joint military training, intelligence sharing, cyber defense collaboration, and political coordination within NATO and EU frameworks. Estonia now allocates more than 4% of its GDP to defense spending and has emerged as one of Ukraine’s strongest advocates in both Brussels and NATO, underscoring a shared strategic view of Moscow’s threat.

Despite US President Donald Trump’s new ultimatum for Russia, giving it only ten days to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin confirmed that Russia has no intention to stop its aggression, UNIAN reports. 

“We took Trump’s statement about a shortened timeline for resolving the situation in Ukraine and his disinterest in contacts into account,” says Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, adding that Russia acts “in the interest of its own security.”

No talks, no meeting: Trump–Putin summit off the table

Peskov has also ruled out any upcoming meeting between Putin and Trump, while lamenting the stagnation in US–Russia relations.

“Russia would like to see more momentum, but that requires signals from both sides,” he says.

Peskov’s statement is not entirely truthful in light of Trump’s actions in 2025. The US president made a number of concessions to Russia on the path to peace.

• He pressured not only Moscow but also Kyiv and was considering recognizing Crimea as part of Russia. 
• He delayed military aid to Ukraine, which limited Kyiv’s defensive capabilities.
• At the same time, Trump lifted Russia out of international isolation by having conversations with Russian authorities, including Putin, which did not happen under former President Joe Biden. 

Trump’s ultimatum: Ten days or sanctions

On 14 July, Trump threatened 100% tariffs on Russia and secondary sanctions on countries buying its oil unless Putin halts his attacks on Ukraine within 50 days. This could impact China, India, and Brazil, Russia’s main economic allies. 

As Trump threatens sanctions on buyers of Russian oil, India prepares to switch suppliers to avoid fallout

By 28 July, the US president had slashed its first deadline.

“I’m not so interested in talking [to Putin] any more. Every time I think it’s going to end, he kills people,” Trump claimed.

He could leave the war, but he refused. Ukrainian soldier Andrii, 24, from Poltava, is a father of three and a fighter in the drone battalion of Ukraine’s 128th Mountain Assault Brigade. He has pulled over a thousand vehicles off the battlefield: tanks, BMPs, APCs, self-propelled guns, and trucks during his service in the army.

“I’m staying here because I don’t want the Russians to reach my home,” says Andrii, explaining his motivation. 

Andrii’s journey began as a conscript and led him to become an FPV drone operator. Initially, he served as a mechanic-driver of a BREM-1 evacuation vehicle, working right on the front lines, under shelling and rain, just 250 meters from the enemy.

“When my comrades jumped off the armor to hook up a vehicle, artillery hit us. One was killed. I survived because I was behind the controls,” he recalls.

“You’re the first I’ve ever allowed to use 4th gear”

For his exceptional courage, Andrii was awarded the Order “For Courage,” 3rd class. Recognized as one of the top mechanics in the Armed Forces, he was sent to Germany to train on the German Bergerpanzer-2 armored recovery vehicle, based on the Leopard tank.

The German instructor was stunned by how experienced and skillful the young Ukrainian soldier was.

“You’re an excellent mechanic-driver. I’ve never let anyone use 4th gear on this vehicle — you’re the first,” he says. 

It was a moment where Ukrainian bravery and mechanical precision earned deep trust across allied lines.

The enemy sees him only in their final moments

Today, Andrii operates a fiber-optic FPV drone, navigating into enemy dugouts and capturing every detail. He was trained by Officer Andrii Zadorozhnyi, a hero who was killed in April.

His wife and children wait for him at home. His daughter often calls him right at the front line.

“Ah, you’re in a trench again! When are you coming home?” she asks. 

But Andrii answers firmly, “My home is just 200 kilometers from the enemy. I’m doing what I have to do.”

They paid the highest price for Ukraine’s freedom. British journalist Colin Freeman, in his book The Mad and the Brave, told the stories of foreign volunteers who joined Ukraine’s International Legion, writes The Telegraph.

Freeman compares the influx of volunteers who rushed to aid Ukraine in the early weeks of the all-out war to the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 when thousands from around the world fought fascism.

He portrays a variety of individuals, from veterans of the Syrian war against ISIS to adrenaline seekers and those fleeing heartbreak.

One striking story is that of British combat medic John Harding, who joined the Azov Battalion in 2018. He disproved Russian propaganda about “national extremists” and endured the horrors of the battle for Mariupol, the siege of Azovstal, and months of torture in captivity.

Another hero is Briton Christopher Perryman, a veteran of wars in Iraq, Somalia, and Bosnia, who left behind a young son to fight the Russian aggressor.

Perryman believed he had no moral right to abandon millions of Ukrainian parents in distress, given his extensive military experience. Sadly, he was killed by artillery fire at the end of 2023.

After more than three years of war, the fates of foreign volunteers vary: some died, some cope with PTSD, and others continue fighting alongside Ukrainians.

Earlier, Euromaidan Press published a story about a former paramedic from Colombia, known as Miguel, who came to Ukraine intending to serve as a combat medic. However, due to the language barrier, he was assigned to the infantry.

Despite this, he never abandoned his mission. Every day on the front line, he saves the lives of his comrades. He is learning Ukrainian by singing Chervona Kalyna, the country’s patriotic anthem, and surviving tactics against Russian artillery. 

The Swiss Ministry of Defense reports that the US is delaying deliveries of Patriot air defense systems ordered by Switzerland due to priority support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

In 2022, Switzerland ordered five Patriot systems, which were planned for delivery between 2026 and 2028. However, on 16 July 2025, the US officially announced a revision of delivery priorities due to the urgent need to replenish armaments for countries supplying weapons to Ukraine.

According to Defense Express, the contract included the delivery of 17 launchers and a stock of 70 GEM-T surface-to-air missiles, five AN/MPQ-65 radars, six MIDS-LVT data distribution systems, and five AN/MSQ-132 command posts.

Additionally, in November 2022, the US State Department approved the supply of 72 PAC-3 MSE missiles and related equipment to Switzerland worth $700 million.

Switzerland will receive the systems from later production batches, resulting in delivery delays. Meanwhile, Germany has increased its aid to Ukraine by transferring an additional two Patriot systems.

The delay currently has no specific timeline, and it is unclear whether it will affect deliveries of the PAC-3 MSE guided missiles, which the US promised to provide Ukraine earlier than Switzerland last year.

The Czech Ministry of Defense has announced a significant increase in artillery ammunition deliveries to Ukraine in 2025 under its weapon initiative. It combines NATO countries’ donations with direct ammunition sales through a government-led program that has earned the confidence of international partners, Reuters reports. 

Czechia formed a special team for Ukraine, which together with private companies, scours global markets for surplus ammunition stockpiles and new production lines. Ammunition batches are offered to donor countries, which decide individually what to finance.

Director Ales Vytecka of the Czech Defense Ministry’s AMOS international cooperation agency says 850,000 shells have already been delivered in 2025 to Ukraine, including 320,000 of NATO-standard 155 mm rounds. These figures are approaching last year’s total of 1.5 million shells, 500,000 of which were 155 mm.

Despite the opposition party’s threats to shut the program down after elections, Vytecka stresses that transparency is maintained to the extent allowed by security considerations. He added that the 29% increase in donor contributions compared to 2024 is a clear vote of confidence in the program’s effectiveness.

Donor nations, including Canada, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark, choose which deliveries to fund, and all procurement offers are subject to audit in their respective jurisdictions.

Last week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to right wing influencer Ben Shapiro, founder of "The Daily Wire". The interview showed how much stock Zelensky puts in speaking to a MAGA and Republican audience. It is with this audience that Zelensky has little credibility and Ukraine little sympathy, as Donald Trump calls for a quick peace deal, even if it means Ukraine ceding vast swathes of territory to the Russian aggressor. Zelensky needs Shapiro to combat conservative apathy about the fate of Ukraine, and combat its admiration and respect for Putin as a supposed bastion of traditional values and religious belief. 

Two questions into the interview, Shapiro confronts Zelensky with a conservative talking point. Is Ukraine persecuting members of the Russian Orthodox Church? It is a view that is frequently aired in Christian conservative circles in the United States. Just two months ago, Tucker Carlson interviewed Robert Amsterdam, a lawyer representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Amsterdam alleged that USAID, or some other U.S. government-sponsored organization, created an alternative orthodox church "that would be completely free of what they viewed as the dangerous Putin influence." This, Amsterdam said, is a violation of the U.S. commitment to religious freedom. Trump-supporting talking heads have frequently described Ukraine as killing Christians, while Vladimir Putin is described as a defender of traditional Christian values.

On April 22, Putin met with the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Kirill, his Russian counterpart. The Serbian Patriarch told the Russian president that when he met with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the latter said "we, the Orthodox, have one trump card... Vladimir Putin." It was the Serbian Orthodox Church's desire, the Patriarch said, that "if there is a new geopolitical division, we should be... in the Russian world." It is Orthodoxy's perceived political, rather than purely spiritual, link to Russia that the Ukrainian parliament was hoping to sever in August last year by passing legislation to ban religious groups with links to Moscow.

The Russian orthodox church, which is almost fully under Kremlin’s control, is one of Moscow’s most potent tools for interfering in the domestic affairs of post-Soviet countries. Its ties to Russian intelligence are well-documented and run deep. Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, spent the 1970s spying for the KGB in Switzerland. Today, he blesses Russian weapons and soldiers before they’re deployed to Ukraine.

While Christian conservatives in the U.S. accuse Ukraine of violating religious freedoms and "killing" Christians, Zelensky says that it is, in fact, Russian forces that are persecuting Ukrainian Christians. On Easter, Zelensky said 67 clergymen had been "killed or tortured by Russian occupiers" and over 600 Christian religious sites destroyed. I spoke to the Emmy-winning journalist Simon Ostrovsky who said Russia targets Christian denominations.

"If we're talking about an evangelical church," he told me, "then the members of the church will be accused of being American spies. And if we're talking about the Ukrainian Catholic Church, they'll consider it to be a Nazi Church.” But, Ostrovsky added, "Russians have been able to communicate a lot more effectively than Ukraine, particularly to the right in the United States. Russia has been able to. make the case that it is in fact the Ukrainians who are suppressing freedom of religion in Ukraine and not the Russians, which is absurd."

Back in 2013, Pat Buchanan, an influential commentator and former Reagan staffer, asked if Putin was "one of us." That is, a U.S.-style conservative taking up arms in the "culture war for mankind's future". It is a perception Putin has successfully exploited, able to position himself as the lone bulwark against Western and "globalist" decadence. Now with Trump in the White House, propelled there by Christian conservative support, which has stayed steadfastly loyal to the president even as other conservatives question policies such as tariffs and deportations without due process. With the Christian right as Trump's chief constituency, how can he negotiate with Putin free of their natural affinity for the president not just of Russia but arguably traditional Christianity?

The battle over religious freedom in Ukraine is not just a local concern – it’s a global information war, where narratives crafted in Moscow find eager amplifiers among U.S. Christian conservatives. By painting Ukraine as a persecutor of Christians and positioning Russia as the last defender of “traditional values,” the Kremlin has successfully exported its cultural propaganda to the West. This has already had real-world consequences: shaping U.S. policy debates, undermining support for Ukraine, and helping authoritarian leaders forge alliances across borders. The case of Ukraine shows how religious identity can be weaponized as a tool of soft power, blurring the line between faith and geopolitics, and revealing how easily domestic debates can be hijacked for foreign influence. In a world where the persecutors pose as the persecuted, understanding how narratives are manipulated is essential to defending both democracy and genuine religious freedom.

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