WP: Russia “didn’t care” about “a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin”

Pic.: gzeromedia

Russia appeared to brush aside President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs against Moscow if its war with Ukraine does not end in 50 days, ‘The Washington Post’ notes.

Trump’s announcement about selling advanced weapons to Ukraine and pressuring Russia are his strongest moves of support for Kyiv after months of dramatically shifting positions since his inauguration.

For a time, it appeared that the U.S. leader was more sympathetic to Russia’s view of the conflict, with top U.S. envoys repeating talking points of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

That all appears to have changed last week after Trump expressed his frustration over Moscow’s continued bombardment of Ukraine. He warned that he was readying “a major statement” on Russia and said he was “strongly” looking at a “very, very tough sanctions” bill being prepared by the Senate.

Since then, many in Moscow have been steeling themselves for his announcement, and the Russian stock market tumbled last week. But by Tuesday morning it had recovered, climbing 4 percent since Trump’s announcement on Monday evening.

Dmitry Medvedev – the former Russian president and prime minister now serving as the deputy chairman of the country's Security Council – wrote on social media that the Kremlin was unmoved by what he called Trump's “theatrical ultimatum.” “The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care,” Medvedev wrote.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow needs more time to analyze Trump’s comments, which he said were “quite serious.”

“For now, we can say one thing unequivocally: It seems that such a decision, which is being taken in Washington, in NATO countries and directly in Brussels, is perceived by the Ukrainian side not as a signal for peace, but as a signal for the continuation of war,” Peskov said.

Since the 50 days span the middle of Russia’s summer offensive during the peak fighting season, the U.S. deadline will probably allow Moscow’s push to continue. “

In the spring, there had been hope that Trump and Putin would reach an agreement and ease sanctions, especially after envoy Steve Witkoff talked about a deal for lifting sanctions and recognizing Russia’s territorial conquests in return for freezing the front line. The Kremlin, however, indicated that such an approach was only “okay as a starting point.”

Economists say Russia can sustain its war effort for another 18 to 20 months despite the mounting economic problems under the current sanctions regime, as long as oil prices do not drop for a prolonged period.

And many in Moscow have dismissed Trump’s threat to impose secondary 100 percent tariffs on countries trading with Russia, such as China and India, as completely unrealistic. “To imagine that the U.S. will launch a total trade war against India, for instance, then this is very unlikely,” said Sergei Markov, a Kremlin-connected political analyst. “In Russia, no one believes that Trump can impose 100 percent tariffs on China and India.”

Trump’s decision to provide Ukraine with more U.S. weaponry would only further push Putin to continue an aggressive offensive and deepen the conflict, he said. “This only confirms the correctness of Putin’s policy,” he said. “Since Trump is acting more aggressively and Ukraine is seen only as a weapon in the hands of the West, Putin’s desire to knock this weapon out of the West’s hand will only increase.”

The turn in Trump’s rhetoric was to be expected and only repeating a pattern established during Trump’s first term when he had bowed to the will of the “deep state,” Markov added.

Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian President and Prime Minister now serving as the deputy Chairman of the country's Security Council: Russia 'didn’t care' about Trump's weapons for Ukraine, tariff threats.

Trump threatens 'severe tariffs' on Russia if no deal to end war within 50 days President Donald Trump opened his remarks alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on Monday by threatening "severe tariffs" against Russia, ABC reports.

Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces downed at least 66 Ukrainian drones overnight into Tuesday morning. Among the areas targeted was the southwestern Voronezh region which borders northeastern Ukraine. At least 16 people were injured there, Gov. Aleksandr Gusev said on Telegram.

Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Monday that he would impose "severe tariffs" – though it was not entirely clear if the president was referring to tariffs, sanctions or both – against Russia and its trading partners if a ceasefire deal is not reached in 50 days.

Trump also said he had approved a new tranche of weapons to Ukraine worth "billions of dollars." But details of what Trump called a "very big deal" remain unclear. Two U.S. defense officials told ABC News on Monday that the Pentagon was still working on exactly what military aid could be sent to Ukraine.

The defense officials said 17 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems that Trump mentioned would come entirely from European allies, who would then purchase new replacement systems from the U.S.

The Patriot systems – of which Ukraine currently has at least six, two of which were provided by the U.S. and four by other NATO allies – have become a key in Ukraine's defense against Russian drone, missile and airstrikes since they arrived in the country in 2023.

But, questions remain about Trump's threat to impose 100% "secondary tariffs" on nations doing business with Russia. The US has negligible imports from Russia, which account for around 0.2% of U.S. imports, according to Census Bureau data.

The threat of secondary tariffs or sanctions on Russia's trading partners appears more significant, though may prompt retaliatory measures against the U.S. China and India, for example, are among Moscow's customers for its fossil fuel exports.

Russia's summer offensive is already underway, according to the Ukrainian military, with Moscow's forces pushing for more territory all across the front. Russian efforts are particularly concentrated in the eastern Donetsk and Sumy regions, Kyiv has said.

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