The Kremlin has said that US President Donald Trump’s recent statements, including a threat to impose sanctions on Russia’s trading partners, are serious and require time to assess.
Amid growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump on Monday announced new deliveries of weapons, including Patriot missile systems, to Ukraine and said that buyers of Russian exports could face severe tariffs if Moscow fails to agree to a peace deal within 50 days, signalling a major policy shift in Washington.
“The US president’s statements are very serious. Some of them are addressed personally to President Putin,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday.
“We certainly need time to analyse what was said in Washington. And if and when President Putin deems it necessary, he will definitely comment.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev mocked Trump’s announcement, calling it a “theatrical ultimatum” and saying that “Russia didn’t care”. Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, has frequently issued strident remarks throughout the war.
Russian Senator Konstantin Kosachev was similarly dismissive. Writing on Telegram, he said Trump’s announcement would have no impact on public sentiment in Russia and claimed the United States was setting a trap for Europe — forcing NATO states to pay for weapons that would primarily benefit the US arms industry.
“Only the American military-industrial complex will profit from this,” Kosachev said.
Europeans promise to support weapons shipments
Several European countries pledged to support Trump’s proposal to send more weapons to Ukraine.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Copenhagen would “do its part” to finance Patriot systems for Ukraine, though he gave no specifics. “It seems the US is finally on the right side,” Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels.
The Netherlands and Sweden also said they were exploring ways to support the initiative. Sweden’s Defence Minister Pal Jonson welcomed Trump’s pressure on Russia and confirmed Stockholm would contribute to the delivery of weapons, though details remained unclear.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said the announcements showed that “leadership is once again coming from the US.”
Sanctions package stalls
But in a sign that European unity remains fragile, the European Union’s planned 18th sanctions package stalled on Tuesday after Slovakia requested a delay in the vote. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who visited the Kremlin last year, said the move reflected domestic political concerns over gas supplies amid a looming ban on Russian imports from 2028.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas voiced frustration at the setback. “I’m really sad the sanctions didn’t get approved,” she said. “But I hope they will be passed tomorrow.”
Kallas added that the EU welcomes Trump’s commitment to defending Ukraine but said Washington must also “share the burden”.
In a separate move, the European Council imposed asset freezes on five Russian judicial officials accused of persecuting opposition figure Alexei Gorinov, citing human rights violations.
