Trump warns Medvedev to "watch his words," calls him "failed former President of Russia"
"I don't care what India does with Russia," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "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!" the president added.
Since returning to office in January, Trump and his administration have pushed for an end to the more than three-year war between Russia and Ukraine, without much success. At times, the president has aired frustration with both sides over lack of progress on a ceasefire agreement, despite several rounds of peace talks.
Earlier this month, he gave the two nations a 50-day deadline to reach a deal, threatening Russia and its allies, including India, with increased sanctions.
Re-upping the pressure on Wednesday, Trump said he would impose a 25 percent tariff on India as a penalty for purchasing Russian military equipment and gas. He also signaled he could shorten the timeline -- which now falls in early September -- for the Kremlin to agree to a peace deal and end its onslaught on Ukraine, which has largely been on board with ceasefire proposals, The Hill reported.
The president also said Monday, during a sit-down conversation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland, that he could start imposing sanctions on Russia in "about 10 or 12 days," according to The Hill.
Medvedev, in response, knocked Trump for "playing the ultimatum game."
"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," Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, wrote on the social platform X. "Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times of Oman
44 minutes ago
- Times of Oman
Philippines President to visit India from August 4-8, set to hold talks with PM Modi, Murmu
New Delhi: Philippines President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr is set to visit India from August 4-8, and hold talks with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials. Marcos after arrival in New Delhi on August 4 will meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. On August 5, he will lay a wreath at Rajghat. Marcos will then hold talks with PM Modi in Hyderabad House. Exchange of Memoranda of Understanding and Press Statements will take place thereafter. Marcos will then meet JP Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and thereafter President Droupadi Murmu. The Philippines' President will then travel to Bengaluru and meet Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot. At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ferdinand R Marcos Jr will pay a State Visit to India, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. This would be the first visit of Marcos to India since the assumption of office of the President of the Philippines. Diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines were established in November 1949. Both countries have since developed a strong partnership across a broad spectrum of areas, including trade and investment, defence and security, maritime cooperation, agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and digital technologies. The two countries also engage closely at the regional level, including through India's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN. The statement added that India's relations with the Philippines are an integral pillar of our 'Act East' Policy, Vision MAHASAGAR and our vision of the Indo-Pacific. The forthcoming State Visit of President Marcos coincides with the 75th anniversary of India-Philippines diplomatic relations. The visit is an opportunity for both leaders to set the path for future bilateral cooperation and to engage on regional and international issues of mutual interest, it added. India and the Philippines share warm and multifaceted bilateral relations rooted in historical ties and shared democratic values. Cooperation spans various sectors, including defence, trade, investment, and cultural exchange.
Times of Oman
44 minutes ago
- Times of Oman
Trump slams Democrats for "delay" tactics, backs Republican "warriors" in Senate confirmation fight
Washington: US President Donald Trump lashed out at Senate Democrats for allegedly stalling the confirmation of his nominees and applauded Senate Republicans for their continued efforts to push forward appointments, The Hill reported. "Very proud of our great Republican Senators for fighting, over the Weekend and far beyond, if necessary, in order to get my great Appointments approved, and on their way to helping us MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," Trump posted on Saturday on Truth Social. According to The Hill, Trump accused Democrats of attempting to obstruct the process. "They are doing everything possible to DELAY these wonderful and talented people from being" confirmed, the president said. Trump further took a swipe at Senate Democrats by invoking historical figures, stating, "If George Washington or Abraham Lincoln were up for approval, the Dems would delay, as long as possible, then vote them out. The Democrats want our Country to fail, because they have failed." He also thanked Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and "our Republican Warriors in the Senate," urging them to "Fight and WIN. I am with you all the way!!!" Speaking to reporters, Thune said that recess appointments to address the backlog of over 160 nominees -- primarily for lower-level roles -- were "on the table." "I think everything is on the table," Thune said, adding, "Fixing the rules, not just for now, but for the long term, would be a better solution for it. But at this point right now, I wouldn't say we're taking any options off the table," The Hill quoted him as saying. GOP lawmakers have shown willingness to negotiate with Democrats to facilitate confirmations but are also preparing to consider alternative paths if a deal falls through. "If we can't then we will have to resort to other options and we've got a lot of support for doing that," Thune told Politico, noting that virtually unanimous Republican backing would be needed to change Senate rules. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) defended the Democrats' stance, stating, "Historically bad nominees deserve historic levels of scrutiny." "We have never seen nominees as flawed, as compromised, as unqualified as Trump's," Schumer posted on X. "And they know that," The Hill reported. The Hill also cited sources confirming that Schumer's and Thune's offices were in talks during the week, with the New York senator sending a counterproposal on Friday. Trump, in another Saturday post, claimed that Schumer was demanding over $1 billion in funding to be unfrozen in return for confirming "a small" number of Trump's "highly qualified" nominees. "This demand is egregious and unprecedented, and would be embarrassing to the Republican Party if it were accepted. It is political extortion, by any other name," Trump wrote, The Hill reported. In his closing salvo, Trump urged Republicans to reject any such deal: "Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL! Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country," Trump said, signing off with "have a great RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"
Observer
3 hours ago
- Observer
Filmmakers try to cash in on India-Pakistan battle
Mumbai - Indian filmmakers are locking up the rights to movie titles that can profit from the patriotism fanned by a four-day conflict with Pakistan, which killed more than 70 people. The nuclear-armed rivals exchanged artillery, drone, and air strikes in May, after India blamed Pakistan for an armed attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. The fighting came to an end when US President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire. Now, some Bollywood filmmakers see an opportunity to cash in on the battle. India tagged its military action against Pakistan 'Operation Sindoor', the Hindi word for vermilion, which married Hindu women wear on their foreheads. The name was seen as a symbol of Delhi's determination to avenge those widowed in the April 22 attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which sparked the hostilities. Film studios have registered a slew of titles evoking the operation, including: 'Mission Sindoor', 'Sindoor: The Revenge', 'The Pahalgam Terror', and 'Sindoor Operation'. "It's a story which needs to be told," said director Vivek Agnihotri. "If it were Hollywood, they would have made 10 films on this subject. People want to know what happened behind the scenes," he told AFP. Agnihotri struck box office success with his 2022 release, "The Kashmir Files", based on the mass flight of Hindus from Kashmir in the 1990s. - Coloured narratives - The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party gave that film a glowing endorsement, despite accusations that it aimed to stir up hatred against India's minority. Since Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, some critics say Bollywood is increasingly promoting his government's ideology. Raja Sen, a film critic and screenwriter, said filmmakers felt emboldened by an amenable government. "We tried to wage a war, and then we quietened down when Trump asked us to. So what is the valour here?" Sen told AFP of the Pakistan clashes. Anil Sharma, known for directing rabble-rousing movies, criticised the apparent rush to make films related to the Pahalgam attack. "This is herd mentality... these are seasonal filmmakers, they have their constraints," he said. "I don't wait for an incident to happen and then make a film based on that. A subject should evoke feelings and only then cinema happens," said Sharma. Sharma's historical action flick "Gadar: Ek Prem Katha" (2001) and its sequel "Gadar 2" (2023), both featuring Sunny Deol in lead roles, were big hits. In Bollywood, filmmakers often seek to time releases for national holidays like Independence Day, which are associated with heightened patriotic fervour. "Fighter", featuring big stars Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, was released on the eve of India's Republic Day on January 25 last year. - Anti-Muslim bias - Though not a factual retelling, it drew heavily from India's 2019 airstrike on Pakistan's Balakot. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews but raked in $28 million in India, making it the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of that year. This year, "Chhaava", a drama based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, a ruler of the Maratha Empire, became the highest-grossing film so far this year. It also generated significant criticism for fuelling anti-Muslim bias. "This is at a time when cinema is aggressively painting Muslim kings and leaders in violent light," said Sen. "This is where those who are telling the stories need to be responsible about which stories they choose to tell." Sen said filmmakers were reluctant to choose topics that are "against the establishment". "If the public is flooded with dozens of films that are all trying to serve an agenda, without the other side allowed to make itself heard, then that propaganda and misinformation enters the public psyche," he said. Acclaimed director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said true patriotism is promoting peace and harmony through the medium of cinema. Mehra's socio-political drama "Rang De Basanti" (2006) won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film and was chosen as India's official entry for the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. "How we can arrive at peace and build a better society? How can we learn to love our neighbours?" he asked. "For me that is patriotism."
