Russia issues tough response to Trump’s sanctions threat
The Kremlin stated that Western sanctions against Russia have “no effect,” in response to President Donald Trump’s threat to impose additional measures on Moscow in light of the recent strikes against Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian journalist Alexander Yunashev on Monday morning, in an interview published on Telegram: “Sanctions are the agenda supported by the Kiev regime and European countries. They are doing everything they can to bring Washington on board and impose these sanctions.”
Responding to Trump’s remarks outside the White House on Sunday, Peskov added: “It is better for us to achieve our goals and ensure our security through political and diplomatic means, but while this is impossible due to the lack of reciprocity, we are continuing the special military operation.”
The renewed talk of sanctions comes after Russia launched its largest airstrike on Ukraine since its 2022 invasion. More than 800 drones and 13 missiles were reportedly launched, killing at least four people and wounding more than 44.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that the strikes hit several residential buildings in Kyiv, as well as the seat of government.
U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg said that “Russia appears to be escalating” in response to the recent strikes.
Kellogg concluded by saying, “The attack was not a sign that Russia wants to end this war diplomatically,” adding that Trump is “working to stop it.”
Zelenskyy said, “These killings now, when real diplomacy could have begun long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war. It has been repeatedly stated in Washington that sanctions will be imposed if dialogue is rejected.”
The weekend strikes came after Zelenskyy joined representatives from more than 30 countries at a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” in Paris on Thursday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump, a key participant in the call, emphasized to the coalition the need for the European Union to stop purchasing Russian oil, citing concerns about its funding of the war, according to a White House official. The president also stated that European leaders should exert economic pressure on China for financing the Russian war effort.
During the meeting, 26 leaders committed to contributing troops to serve as a “reassurance force” in Ukraine if the conflict with Russia ends, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, one of the meeting’s co-chairs.
Trump had previously confirmed that US troops would not be deployed on the ground in Ukraine if a ceasefire takes effect, but he offered to provide air support.
When asked about assurances that no US troops would be deployed on the ground, Trump told Fox News on August 19, “You have my assurances, and I’m the president,” before praising the potential assistance the US could provide by air “because no one has the capabilities we have.”
After the “Coalition of the Willing” meeting, Zelensky offered “special thanks” to Trump, publicly praising “his efforts to end this war and America’s willingness to support Ukraine on its side.”
Trump’s latest threat of additional sanctions against Russia comes after a largely unsuccessful summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August. The two world leaders met in Alaska to discuss a possible path to peace, but the meeting ended prematurely without an agreement. Some critics argued that Putin gained more than Trump from the meeting.
