Russia says Donald Trump gave Ukraine signal to ‘continue slaughter'
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, condemned the move. 'It is obvious that the Kyiv regime consistently perceives such decisions by the collective West as a signal to continue the slaughter and abandon the peace process,' Ms Zakharova told a news briefing in Moscow.
Russia's all-out war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has been Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II, with the US estimating 1.2 million people have been injured or killed.
Moscow has said it was forced to launch the war to protect itself from an expanding Nato, while Ukraine and most Western governments describe Russia's war a colonial-style land grab.
Russian forces now control around one-fifth of Ukrainian territory and are slowly but steadily advancing across a vast front line, sustaining heavy losses along the way.
Mr Trump, who has made ending the conflict a priority of his administration, is threatening '100pc tariffs on Russia' and secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire deal by his 50-day deadline.
'An unprecedented number of sanctions and restrictions have been imposed on our country and our international partners. There are so many of them that we view the threat of new sanctions as mundane,' Ms Zakharova said.
'The language of ultimatums, blackmail and threats is unacceptable to us. We will take all necessary steps to ensure the security and protect the interests of our country.'
Both Russia's president Vladimir Putin and Mr Trump have repeatedly cautioned over the escalatory risks of the conflict, which they cast as a proxy war between the world's two biggest nuclear powers.
US efforts to broker peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, however, have faced repeated setbacks.
Russia says it is ready to hold further talks, but has made it clear it wants all of the territory of four Ukrainian regions it has claimed as its own – terms which Ukraine says are unacceptable and would amount to a capitulation.
Moscow is also keen to revive its battered bilateral relationship with the US if possible, though Mr Trump's latest moves on Ukraine have soured the atmosphere.
Mr Trump said on Monday that he was 'very unhappy' and 'disappointed' with Putin, and cast his decision to send more arms to Ukraine as intended to jolt Russia towards peace.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by threats of tougher sanctions, and that his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance.
Earlier yesterday, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia had no plans to attack Nato or Europe. But he said it should respond and, if necessary, launch pre-emptive strikes if Moscow believed the West was escalating what he cast as its full-scale war against Russia.
'We need to act accordingly. To respond in full. And if necessary, launch pre-emptive strikes,' Mr Medvedev was quoted as saying.
The remarks by Mr Medvedev, reported in full by the Tass state news agency, indicate that Moscow sees the confrontation with the West over Ukraine escalating after Mr Trump's latest decisions.
'What is happening today is a proxy war, but in essence it is a full-scale war – launches of Western missiles, satellite intelligence, sanctions packages, loud statements about the militarisation of Europe,' Mr Medvedev said, according to Tass.
Ukraine's parliament appointed the country's first new prime minister in five years yesterday, part of a major cabinet overhaul aimed at revitalising wartime management as prospects for peace grow dim.
Yulia Svyrydenko (39) has been told by president Volodymyr Zelensky to boost domestic weapons production and revive Ukraine's loan-dependent economy.
In a speech to parliament, Mr Zelensky said he expected his new government to increase the share of domestic weapons on Ukraine's battlefield from 40pc to 50pc within six months.
He also singled out deregulation and expanding economic co-operation with allies as other key aims of the biggest government reshuffle since Russia's invasion.
Ms Svyrydenko, an experienced technocrat who had served as first deputy prime minister since 2021, pledged to move 'swiftly and decisively'.
'War leaves no room for delay,' she wrote on X. 'Our priorities for the first six months are clear: reliable supply for the army, expansion of domestic weapons production and boosting the technological strength of our defence forces.'
Ms Svyrydenko is also well known to the Trump administration, having negotiated a deal giving the US preferential access to Ukraine's mineral wealth. It was considered crucial to bolstering relations between Kyiv and Washington.
Addressing politicians yesterday, Mr Zelensky said further deals with the US would be forthcoming but did not offer any specific details.
Parliament also appointed former prime minister Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine's longest-serving head of government, as defence minister and Svitlana Hrynchuk as energy minister.
Ukraine is betting on a budding defence industry, fuelled in part by foreign investment, to fend off Russia's bigger and better-armed war machine.
With state revenues going to defence, Kyiv will also need to find money to finance its ballooning budget deficit as foreign aid diminishes. Officials have said they could face a shortfall of about $19bn (€16.5bn) next year.
Ms Svyrydenko said the government would launch a full audit of public finances to achieve 'real savings', as well as accelerate large-scale privatisations and help entrepreneurs.
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