Moscow (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says US President Donald Trump’s recent sanctions on Russia amount to an act of war, calling the US Russia’s adversary.
As reported by Reuters, Dmitry Medvedev said President Trump’s recent Ukraine actions are an act of war, citing the US as Russia’s adversary.
Following Mr Trump’s cancellation of a peace meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House imposed new sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.
What did Dmitry Medvedev say about Donald Trump’s actions on Ukraine?
Dmitry Medvedev warned that the US is Russia’s adversary and that Trump, once called a
“peacemaker has now fully embarked on the warpath against Russia.”
He stated,
“If any of the numerous commentators still had any illusions, here they are. The United States is our adversary, and their talkative “peacemaker” has now fully embarked on the warpath against Russia. Yes, he doesn’t always actively fight on the side of Bandera’s Kyiv, but this is his conflict now, not the senile Biden’s! They will, of course, say he couldn’t help but be pressured in Congress, etc. This doesn’t change the main point: the decisions taken are an act of war against Russia. And now Trump has fully aligned himself with insane Europe.”
Mr Medvedev claimed that Russia aims to defeat Ukraine, not engage in “meaningless deals” as part of the conflict.
What did Maria Zakharova say about Ukraine and US sanctions?
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow’s goals in Ukraine remain the same as in 2022: a neutral, non-aligned, demilitarized Ukraine that protects Russian speakers and Orthodox communities.
She said,
“We need a configuration of negotiated solutions that will eliminate the root causes of the conflict and ensure reliable peace in the context of building a Eurasian and broader global system of indivisible security.”
Ms Zakharova called US sanctions highly counterproductive and warned they would fail if the Trump administration followed past US policies.
What did Donald Trump say about the latest US sanctions on Russia?
The US sanctions mark a turning point in Donald Trump–Vladimir Putin relations, after Russia rejected America’s terms for a Ukraine ceasefire.
Mr Trump said,
“Look, these are tremendous sanctions. These are very big ones that are against their two big oil companies, and we hope that they won’t be on for long. We hope that the war will be settled.”
He argued the sanctions are aimed at pushing Mr Putin back to the negotiating table.
The US president stated,
“Hopefully he’ll become reasonable, and hopefully Zelensky will be reasonable. You know, it takes two to tango, as I say, and we’ll find out.”
Last week, President Trump announced plans to meet Vladimir Putin in Hungary, triggering diplomatic activity, but the meeting was canceled after Russia refused a peace agreement to halt the war along the current front lines.
Mr Trump said,
“Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don’t go anywhere. They just don’t go anywhere. It’s time to make a deal. A lot of people are dying.”
Referring to the Tomahawk missiles, he stated,
“It’s a very powerful weapon, very accurate weapon, and maybe that’s what makes it so complex.”
Mr Trump added,
“But it will take a year. It takes a year of intense training to learn how to use it, and we know how to use it, and we’re not going to be teaching other people. It will be too far out into the future.”
What did Craig Kennedy say about the effectiveness of US sanctions on Russia?
Craig Kennedy, associate at Harvard’s Davis Center, said the impact of the sanctions will depend on the US imposing secondary measures on those dealing with Rosneft and Lukoil.
He stated,
“It’s not going to be seismic, this is going to be incremental. And it really comes down to whether they start putting calls through to people in India and China saying you shouldn’t be buying this stuff.”
What did Mark Rutte and Yvette Cooper say about the latest US sanctions on Russia?
NATO chief Mark Rutte said the move aims to “change the calculus” by putting more pressure on the Kremlin.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper praised the sanctions, which came after a similar move by Parliament last week.
She added,
“I strongly welcome this important package of sanctions from the US. We must choke off the oil and gas revenues helping to fuel Putin’s illegal war.”
When did the war in Ukraine start, and what are the casualties so far?
The war started in February 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas, escalating into a full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022.
Some Western estimates put Russian military deaths at up to 250,000, and Ukrainian military deaths between 60,000 and 100,000 since the 2022 invasion.
Western assessments estimate total Russian military casualties at over one million, with Ukrainian casualties at approximately 400,000 since 2022.