U.S. President Trump, last week handed 50 days ultimatum to ‘the powers that be’ in Moscow to stop their offensive attack in Ukraine before facing any consequences.
In a new announcement, Donald Trump warned 100 percent tariffs on Russia and secondary sanctions on Russian trading partners, if there is no deal to end the war by the end of that period, in early September.
Now, Kremlin sees Trump’s statement to threaten sanctions and pledge arms to Ukraine ‘very serious’ – while adding it would now digest and assess the White House announcement.
‘We certainly need time to analyze what was said in Washington,’ Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a call with journalists on Tuesday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia would be able to deal with further sanctions should Trump follow through with his threats.
‘We already have an unprecedented number of sanctions against us. We are coping and I have no doubt that we will cope,’ Lavrov said in a news conference.
Moscow replies Donald Trump
Moreover, Kremlin insiders suspect that the 50-day window before any new US sanctions hit is plenty of time for their military push in Ukraine to pay off – or, failing that, for a notoriously changeable President Trump to change his mind on Russia once again.
‘In 50 days, oh, how much can change, both on the battlefield and in the mood of those in power in the US and NATO,’ said one prominent Russian senator, Konstantin Kosachev, on social media.
‘But our mood will not be affected,’ he vowed, underlining how Russia sees itself as having a long-term approach to Ukraine while Western governments, specifically the Trump administration, are seen as fickle.
Russia is already one of the world’s most heavily sanctioned countries – punishments for allegations of US election interference, as well as other malign activities from Crimea to Syria to Britain and beyond.
Still, Russia is genuinely alarmed at the prospect of US weapons, even defensive Patriot missile defense systems, flowing back into Ukraine.
