Lavrov Responds to Trump’s Sanctions Warning, Says Russia Will Withstand Pressure
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning of new sanctions over the ongoing war in Ukraine, saying Moscow is trying to understand the motivations behind the American leader’s latest threats. Lavrov also expressed confidence that Russia would endure any additional punitive measures imposed by Washington.
“We want to understand what the U.S. President is moved by,” Lavrov said, reacting to Trump’s 50-day ultimatum demanding a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. “I have no doubt we will cope with new sanctions,” he added, dismissing Trump’s warning of “secondary tariffs” if President Vladimir Putin fails to reach a ceasefire deal within the specified time.
Lavrov’s comments came a day after Trump, addressing reporters at the White House, delivered a blunt warning to Moscow. “We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs. If we don’t have a deal in 50 days, it’s very simple. And they’ll be at 100 percent, and that’s the way it is,” Trump declared.
The warning marks a significant shift in Trump’s rhetoric toward Putin, as the U.S. President has recently shown growing impatience with Russia’s actions in Ukraine. “I am very disappointed with President Putin. I thought he was somebody that meant what he said — and he’ll talk so beautifully, then he’ll bomb people at night. I don’t like it,” Trump said, criticizing Moscow’s continued missile strikes despite earlier talks of a ceasefire.
In addition to economic threats, Trump also announced military measures to bolster NATO’s defenses and support Ukraine. According to Reuters, he confirmed the deployment of Patriot missile systems and batteries to NATO allies. “It’s a full complement with the batteries. We’re going to have some come very soon. Within days, a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have,” he explained.
The back-and-forth underscores escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow as the Ukraine conflict enters another phase, with diplomacy, sanctions, and military posturing all in play.
