On August 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia has produced its first Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile system, which has already been delivered to the military. He added that mass production of the missile is currently underway.
Putin further stated that Russia plans to deliver the Oreshnik system to Belarus by the end of this year, with preparations for deployment sites already in progress.
Regarding the results of the July 23 negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Putin said Moscow is prepared to wait if Kyiv believes now is not the time for peace talks. “For humanitarian reasons, we have returned thousands of Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies. In exchange, we received the remains of dozens of our own troops who sacrificed their lives for the motherland. Is that not a positive outcome?” he remarked, stressing that the stalemate in negotiations stems from “unrealistic expectations” and that achieving a peaceful settlement requires “calm and substantive discussions, not actions designed to attract attention.”
He also proposed that discussions on security should take place within the context of pan-European security, including both Russian and Ukrainian security concerns, and emphasized the need for conditions ensuring the permanent establishment of peace in Ukraine. These conditions, he noted, would include guarantees for the Russian language, independence, and the development of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Christianity.
On the same day, responding to questions from journalists, Putin asserted that the European Union has lost the ability to make sovereign decisions and, as a result, faces the loss of its economic sovereignty. “It has become clear that the EU today has no sovereignty at all,” he stated, adding, “The current crisis will inevitably bring economic losses.”
Putin also pointed out that many political analysts have recently said the EU is no longer an economic giant but a “political dwarf.” He warned that “the loss of political sovereignty leads to the loss of economic sovereignty and enormous financial damage.” He concluded by reiterating that “the primary goal of our special military operation is to strengthen Russia’s sovereignty.”
