Moscow accused Washington of sending a signal to Kiev to abandon the peace process with President Donald Trump's decision to increase arms deliveries to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow would not accept new “blackmail“ in the form of sanctions and threats coming from the US, quoted by "Reuters", reports News.bg.
On Monday, Trump announced that he was giving Russia 50 days to accept a ceasefire in Ukraine. Otherwise, the United States would impose “100% tariffs“ and additional sanctions, including against countries that buy Russian oil. Washington has also promised more missiles and weapons for Ukraine.
“It is obvious that the Kiev regime perceives such decisions of the collective West as a signal to continue the massacre and abandon the peace process“, Zakharova said during a briefing in Moscow. According to her, the language of ultimatums and threats is “unacceptable”, and Russia will take all necessary measures to protect its national interests.
The conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, has led to the bloodiest war in Europe since World War II. According to US estimates, about 1.2 million people have been killed or wounded. Russia currently controls about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory and is advancing slowly along the front line despite heavy losses, according to U.S. intelligence.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, known for his outspoken remarks, said that Russia was not planning attacks on NATO or Europe, but could launch preemptive strikes if it perceived the West's actions as an escalation. "This is no longer just a proxy war, this is a full-scale war with missiles, satellite reconnaissance, sanctions and arming Europe," he was quoted as saying by TASS.
Although Russia has declared its readiness for new negotiations, the Kremlin is demanding that Ukraine recognize the annexation of four Ukrainian regions. Terms that Kiev categorically rejects as capitulation. Despite the new harsh measures announced by Trump, Moscow remains in the position that it will continue military action until the West accepts its terms for peace.