Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and Putin ally, over what he called “dangerous” comments about the war in Ukraine.
Prior to beginning his second term as president in January, Trump insisted he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within his first 24 hours back in the White House. However, ending the conflict has proven to be a difficult task.
Earlier this month, Trump had threatened to impose “very severe” tariffs on Russia if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire within 50 days. But speaking in Scotland earlier this week, the president said he would reduce that to “about 10 or 12 days,” with the deadline set to expire around August 9.
In response, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who sits on Putin’s Security Council, slammed Trump’s comments. On Twitter, he penned: “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!”
Trump took to Truth Social in recent hours to issue a direct response to Medvedev’s remarks.
The Republican president wrote: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, 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. He’s entering very dangerous territory!”
Speaking outside his hotel in Turnberry, Scotland, on Monday, July 28, Trump said he was “very disappointed” with Putin, as the Russian leader continues to fire missiles at Ukraine.
Ahead of a meeting with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Trump said: “We thought we had it settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever. You have bodies lying all over the street, and I say that’s not the way to do it. So we’ll see what happens with that.”
