The Kremlin views Donald Trumpʼs recent statement on sanctions against Russia as “very serious,” according to Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He noted that President Vladimir Putin has not yet commented on the matter.
“The U.S. presidentʼs statements are very serious. Some of them are addressed personally to President Putin. We will, of course, need time to analyze what was said in Washington, and if and when President Putin considers it necessary, he will certainly respond,” Peskov said.
He added that such decisions — made “in Washington, in NATO countries, and directly in Brussels” — are perceived by Ukraine “not as a signal toward peace, but as a signal to continue the war.” Peskov also said Moscow is awaiting proposals from Kyiv regarding the timing of a third round of direct negotiations.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also weighed in on Trumpʼs remarks, saying Moscow is “ready to negotiate” with Kyiv. But if that willingness “is not met with an appropriate response,” he added, Russia will “continue to pursue its objectives through the special military operation,” as quoted by TASS.
Trump made his promised statement on Russia the previous day, declaring that if a ceasefire deal is not reached in Ukraine within 50 days, the United States will impose 100-percent tariffs on imports from Russia and its trading partners. He also announced that the U.S. and European Union had reached an agreement to supply weapons to Kyiv, with Europe covering the costs.