Key Points and Summary – After President Trump dramatically shortened his Ukraine ceasefire ultimatum for Russia from 50 days to just 10, a top Russian official has responded with a chilling threat.
-Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president, warned on social media that Trump’s “ultimatum game” was a “step towards war…with his own country.”
-The defiant message came as the Kremlin officially stated it was still “committed to the peace process” while making no concessions.
-The escalating war of words signals a dangerous new phase in the standoff between Washington and Moscow.
Russia and America: Closer to War over Ukraine?
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced that he was moving up the deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, initially 50 days.
Now, Trump said, Russia must end the conflict in 10 to 12 days, or else face secondary tariffs on its oil trading partners.
“I’m going to make a new deadline, of about 10 — 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump told the press during his visit to Scotland this week. “There’s no reason for waiting. It was 50 days. I wanted to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made.”
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president who is now deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, reacted to Trump’s announcement.
“Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10… He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,” Medvedev said on X, as reported by Fox News.
He then added “Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!,” using Trump’s own nickname for his predecessor and former opponent, Joe Biden.
Medvedev vs. Graham
Medvedev, during the Russia-Ukraine war, has often been an especially strident voice in favor of Russia’s position.
And according to Ukraineska Pravda, Medvedev traded barbs this week with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a leading Russia hawk.
“Those in Russia who believe that President Trump is not serious about ending the bloodbath between Russia and Ukraine,” Graham replied to the former Russian president on X.
“You and your customers will soon be sadly mistaken. You will also soon see that Joe Biden is no longer president. Get to the peace table.”
Medvedev replied to Graham:
“It’s not for you or Trump to dictate when to ‘get at the peace table’. Negotiations will end when all the objectives of our military operation have been achieved. Work on America first, gramps!”
“Committed to Peace”
Russia, meanwhile, declared that it is “committed” to peace in response to Trump’s revised ultimatum.
“We have taken note of President Trump’s statement yesterday. The SVO (special military operation) continues,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, per AFP, referencing the Kremlin’s name for the initial invasion of Ukraine.
“We would like to see more dynamics. We are interested in this. In order to move forward, we need impulses from both sides,” the Kremlin spokesman added.
Russia, Peskov added, remains “committed to the peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and secure our interests.”
The View From Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted, much more positively to Trump moving up the deadline for Russia.
“I thank President Trump for his focus on saving lives and stopping this horrible war … Russia pays attention to sanctions, pays attention to such losses,” the Ukrainian president said Tuesday.
But there was less great news for Zelenskyy this week, with the news that the European Union has frozen aid to Ukraine in response to Ukraine’s new law that strips power from Ukraine’s leading anti-corruption agencies. That law led to street protests in Ukraine for the first time since the start of the war.
“Everything has been put on hold until the situation is resolved,” per a report by Ekonomichna Pravda (EP).
“In response to this move, the EU decided to suspend key funding packages needed to finance Ukraine’s macro-financial stability and investment projects – the EU’s share of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan, backed by profits from around $20 billion in frozen Russian assets, along with financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank,” Kyiv Post said.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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July 29, 2025 at 10:21 am
Time for medvedev to replace Putin.
Putin has A LOT to answer for to the Russian people.
On his fiasco that has led Russia to being forced to dance to the tunes played by the nazis and their supporters.
When ya confronted by deadly fascists, like the kyiv nazis, never ever play-play with them.
Ya go straight for their jugular. Which Putin failed to do.
Putin must therefore FACE THE MUSIC.
Medvedev can quickly employ nukes against the nazis and thereby throw down the gauntlet against trump, Lindsey Graham and Biden and starmer.
To hell with the anglos !!!
anglos are CHICKIN-HAWKS.
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