21 hours ago
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The Kremlin mocked President Trump’s warning that Russia would face 100% secondary tariffs if it did not agree to a cease-fire deal with Ukraine as nothing more than a “theatrical ultimatum.”
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and top ally of Vladimir Putin, said the Kremlin would not abide by Trump’s call for a cease-fire agreement to be reached within 50 days, slamming threats of 100% secondary tariffs against Moscow as inconsequential.
“Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care,” Medvedev wrote on X.
Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s senior diplomat, joined the criticism and described Trump’s warnings as unacceptable and pointless.
During his meeting with NATO’s top official on Monday, Trump said America would seek harsh secondary tariffs against Russia over Putin’s repeated dismissal of US-backed cease-fire deals and the ever-escalating airstrikes on Ukraine.
Secondary sanctions are meant to punish individuals or entities who do business with a country, with Trump aiming at those who prop up Russia’s war machine.
The tariffs would likely target China, India and Turkey, the biggest buyers of crude oil from Russia, the world’s second-largest exporter.
Trump also vowed to provide “billions of dollars” worth of weapons to Ukraine via Washington’s NATO allies to bolster Kyiv’s defenses.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said some of Trump’s remarks were personally addressed by Putin, warning the US and NATO that the discussions are being seen as “a signal to continue the war.”
“The US president’s statements are very serious,” Peskov told reporters. “We certainly need time to analyze what was said in Washington.”
Outside the Kremlin, Russia has been shocked by Trump’s latest policy against Moscow after previously touting his conversations with Putin and falsely accusing Ukraine of starting the war.
The front page of Kommersant, one of Russia’s most respected newspapers, led with the headline, “Et tu, Trump,” invoking the betrayal in William Shakespeare’s classic, “Julius Caesar.”
The latest development comes as Russia launched hundreds more drones and missiles into six Ukrainian regions overnight, killing at least two people, including a child.
The attacks targeted energy infrastructures scattered across Ukraine, with about 80,000 families losing power in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to energy officials.
“Russia is not changing its strategy — and to counter this terror effectively, we need to systematically strengthen our defenses: more air defense systems, more interceptors, and more determination — so that Russia feels our response,” Zelensky wrote on X following the attack.
With Post wires
English (US)