Key Points and Summary – President Trump has fired back with a direct threat to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev after Medvedev warned Trump’s Ukraine ultimatum was a “step towards war” with the U.S.
-In a fiery social media post, Trump called Medvedev a “failed former president” and warned him to “watch his words,” saying he is “entering very dangerous territory!”
-The escalating war of words came just before Trump announced a new 25% tariff on India for its trade with Russia, making good on his sanctions threat even before his new 10-day deadline has expired.
Trump Threatens Medvedev After War Comments
Moscow’s attack dog, Dmitry Medvedev’s latest suggestion that Donald Trump was taking a “step toward war” has prompted an angry backlash from the U.S. president.
In a Truth Social post published in the early hours of Thursday morning, Trump threatened Medvedev, whose own words were interpreted as a threat to the United States earlier this week.
Trump slammed Medvedev as a “failed” former president and offered the biggest hint yet that the U.S. will step up economic sanctions against Russia.
“Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words,” Trump wrote. “He’s entering very dangerous territory!”
Medvedev has been the most vocal and aggressive Kremlin spokesman since the outbreak of the Ukraine invasion, repeatedly threatening war with the United States and even going as far as threatening nuclear warfare.
Trump’s comments were a response to a post shared by Medvedev on X on July 28.
“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. Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!” Medvedev said.
The comments indicated that Moscow is not taking seriously President Trump’s threat to implement sanctions on Russia and its trade allies if a peace deal is not made within 50 days. Trump said in recent days that he had brought the deadline forward to just 10 days as of Tuesday.
Medvedev’s comments could well have been a motivating factor in Trump’s decision on Wednesday, July 30, to begin announcing sanctions against Russian trade partners even before the deadline was reached.
Speaking to reporters, the president slammed India – a major purchaser of Russian energy – for its high tariffs and non-monetary barriers to trade. Trump announced a 25% tariff on goods imported from India beginning on Friday, but said that there was room for negotiation.“They have one of the highest tariffs in the world now, they’re willing to cut it very substantially,” Trump said. “We’re talking to India now – we’ll see what happens…You’ll know by the end of this week.”
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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