Steve Rosenberg
BBC Russia Editor
Getty Images
Unless Russia has signed a contract to end the Ukrainian war within 50 days, Trump is threatening further sanctions
At the oval office on Monday, Donald Trump is making a harsh talk, unveiling new US military cargo cargo to Ukraine paid by the European government, threatening new tariffs that will hit Russia’s war chest if imposed.
But back to Moscow, how did the stock exchange react? It rose 2.7%.
That’s because Russia was becoming brave due to even more severe sanctions from President Trump.
“Russia and the US are heading towards a new conflict over Ukraine,” a tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolet edition warned on Monday.
“Trump’s Monday surprise will not be comfortable for our country.”
It wasn’t “fun.” But, for example, Russia is freed that secondary tariffs on Russian trading partners will only kick 50 days from now.
This will give Moscow plenty of time to come up with a counter proposal and delay the implementation of sanctions even further.
Nevertheless, Donald Trump’s announcement represents a more stringent approach to Russia.
It also reflects his dissatisfaction with Vladimir Putin’s reluctance to sign a peace agreement.
When he returned to the White House in January, Donald Trump made Russian war in Ukraine one of his foreign policy priorities.
For months, Moscow’s response was “Yes, but…”
Yes, Russia said in March that it welcomed President Trump’s proposal for a comprehensive ceasefire. But first, he said that with Ukrainian military mobilization, Western military assistance and sharing of intelligence with Kiev should end.
Yes, Moscow claims, it wants peace. However, the “root cause” of war must be resolved first. The Kremlin sees these very differently as to what Ukraine and the West look like. The war argues that it is the result of an external threat to Russia’s security: Kyiv, NATO, “Group West.”
However, in February 2022, it was not Ukraine, NATO or the West that invaded Russia. It was Moscow that began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, causing Europe’s largest land war since World War II.
Reuters
Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago
For quite some time, the “yes, but…” approach allowed Moscow to avoid additional US sanctions and continued to indict the war. The Trump administration hopes to improve bilateral relations with Russia and negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine.
Kremlin critics warned that “Yes, but” … Russia was playing for time. But President Trump hoped he could find a way to persuade Vladimir Putin to make a deal.
The Russian president is appearing to do so quickly. The Kremlin believes it holds the initiative on the battlefield. It wants peace, but it argues on its terms.
These conditions include the end of Western weapons cargo to Ukraine. It’s clear from Donald Trump’s announcement that it won’t happen.
President Trump has insisted that he is “not happy” with Vladimir Putin.
But disillusionment is two-way. Russia has also fallen from love with the American president. On Monday, Moskovsky Komsomolets wrote:
“[Trump] There is clearly a fantasy of grandeur. And a very large mouth. ”
