Under Putin’s Watch: Russia Holds Massive Nuclear Weapon Drill After White House Snub

Russia conducted a large-scale military exercise involving nuclear-capable weapons just a day after the US announced a delay in plans for a second summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump regarding the war in Ukraine. The show of force, overseen by Putin, was held across land, air, and sea, and included the firing of missiles capable of reaching the United States.

The Kremlin released video footage showing Russian Chief of General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, reporting to Putin on the drills. Russia confirmed it launched missiles from ground launchers, submarines, and aircraft, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that can strike US territory. The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced that Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bombers conducted a training flight over the Baltic Sea, escorted by foreign fighter jets, likely from NATO member countries.

At key moments during the war, now in its 3-year, 8-month mark since the Russian invasion, Putin has consistently invoked Russia's nuclear might as a direct warning to Kyiv and its Western allies. The drills coincide with NATO’s own nuclear deterrence exercises being held this month.

Ukraine Secures Fighter Jet Deal

Simultaneously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky advanced a major deal to boost his country's aerial defense during a visit to Sweden. Sweden announced it had signed a letter of intent to export Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, part of a broader European effort to strengthen Kyiv's defense capabilities against Russia.

Ukrainian pilots are already in Sweden to test the Gripen, which is considered a more economical and durable alternative to advanced US aircraft like the F-35.

"We have started the work to acquire Gripen aircraft… and we expect the future contract will allow us to purchase no less than 100 of these planes," Zelensky said while visiting Saab company factories. Kyiv hopes to begin operating the jets as early as next year.

Diplomatic Freeze and Russian Demands

The military actions unfolded amidst fresh uncertainty surrounding the US-led peace initiative. After months of diplomatic stagnation, Putin and Trump unexpectedly spoke last week and announced plans for a summit in Hungary, which the Kremlin suggested could happen within two weeks.

However, following a phone call between the two nations' foreign ministers on Monday, the White House announced the next day that Trump had no immediate plans to meet with Putin. Trump stated he did not want a "wasted meeting," a sentiment the Kremlin claimed Putin shared. Despite the delay, Russian officials stated that preparations for a future summit are ongoing. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "The dates have not yet been set, but thorough preparation is necessary before then, and that takes time." A US official clarified that the summit was not canceled, but the US is currently focused on Trump's upcoming visit to Asia.

The delay comes after Russia reiterated its demands for a peace agreement, which, according to three sources, include the demand that Ukraine surrender control of the entire Donbas region in the country’s southeast. This demand was rejected by Trump last week, who said both sides should "stop at the current front lines."

Europe Rallies Support

While diplomatic efforts stall, Ukraine and Russia continue to exchange heavy missile and drone attacks. Russian strikes on Wednesday killed six people, including two children, in Kyiv and the surrounding area, and caused power outages nationwide. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha urgently appealed to Kyiv's international partners to mobilize "additional energy support" to avert a humanitarian crisis as winter approaches.

In response to the diplomatic freeze, European defense company stocks rose. European governments largely back Kyiv and have pledged to increase their defense budgets. EU leaders are set to discuss a proposal on Thursday to use frozen Russian assets in Europe to provide a $163 billion loan to Ukraine. Moscow has called this an act of theft and threatened retaliation. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, claimed on Tuesday night to have used British and French-made Storm Shadow air-to-ground missiles to strike a chemical plant in Russia's Bryansk region.