Russia dismisses Trump's "theatrical" sanctions ultimatum
Russia isn't interested in the U.S. President Donald Trump's "theatrical ultimatum" about sanctions on buyers of Russian exports if Moscow doesn't agree to a peace deal in Ukraine.
A senior security official commented on Tuesday, after Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine and threatened 100% secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian exports—a significant portion of which is crude oil, Reuters reports.
"Trump launched a theatrical ultimatum at the Kremlin. The world trembled, awaiting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated in an English-language post on X.
The Kremlin hasn't yet commented on Trump's remarks but stated Monday that the United States clearly continued to supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.
In Moscow, state television opened its broadcasts by reporting on Russian troops' advances in Ukraine—where Russian forces control just under a fifth of the territory—and a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia that injured 18 people.
State television's coverage of Trump's statements focused on the time it would take for Patriot missile systems to reach Ukraine and internal U.S. concerns that the conflict could escalate. They then shifted to a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Kommersant, one of Russia's most respected newspapers, invoked William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" in its front-page headline to suggest betrayal: "And you, Trump—the main peacemaker of the Ukrainian conflict has joined the 'party of war'."
Trump told the BBC that he hadn't "settled scores" with Putin and believed a peace deal for Ukraine was possible.
Putin has repeatedly stated he's ready for peace—but on his terms—and that there's no point in considering a ceasefire until the details of what that peace would look like are clarified.
European powers and Ukrainian officials say they don't believe Putin is serious about peace and have implored Trump to abandon his efforts to repair relations with the Kremlin.
In Washington, a White House official said Trump intends to impose "100% tariffs on Russia" and secondary sanctions on other countries that buy oil from Russia if a peace deal isn't reached within 50 days.
85 out of 100 U.S. senators are co-sponsoring a bill that would give Trump the authority to impose 500% tariffs on any country assisting Russia, but Republican House leaders are waiting for him to give them the green light for a vote.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
