Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday shrugged off US President Donald Trump’s latest threats and ultimatums, vowing that Russian operations in Ukraine will continue and may even intensify despite increased Western military aid.
As the conflict drags on past 1,200 days, both sides are bracing for a more violent and uncertain phase, marked by fresh offensives, sharp rhetoric, and warnings of escalation.
Moscow rejects Trump’s 50-day ceasefire deadline
The development came after Trump publicly demanded that Moscow agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine within 50 days, threatening to impose 100% secondary tariffs on countries that keep trading with Russia if his ultimatum was ignored.
The White House announced a sweeping initiative to supply billions in new US weaponry to Ukraine by routing sales through NATO allies, a move intended both to speed up deliveries and to pressure European partners to foot more of the bill.
Russian officials instantly denounced Trump’s ultimatum as “unacceptable,” with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov insisting that Moscow would not bow to demands or ultimatums from Washington.
He said:
We need to focus on political and diplomatic work…The President of the Russian Federation has repeatedly said that we are ready to negotiate and the diplomatic path is preferable for us. If we cannot achieve our goals through diplomacy, then the [war in Ukraine] will continue… This is an unshakable position.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the American approach as “quite serious” but said the Kremlin would take its time to analyze Trump’s proposals before any public response.
Adding to the sense of confrontation, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev derided Trump’s words as a “theatrical ultimatum,” declaring, “Russia didn’t care”.
Battleground escalation as both sides dig In
The immediate military backdrop remains grim. On Tuesday, Russian drone strikes pounded Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Sumy regions, killing at least one and injuring 21, including strikes on educational and healthcare facilities.
Russian forces reporting incremental advances, claiming new territory in eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian drones struck Russian targets in Kursk and Luhansk, and sabotage efforts hit key infrastructure behind Russian lines.
Analysts note that Putin is betting on a protracted war, believing Russia can outlast Ukraine especially if Western unity falters.
According to recent assessments, Russian forces have maintained pressure along the front for months, advancing slowly and seeking to envelop Ukrainian defenses rather than making rapid breakthroughs.
The Kremlin appears willing to continue this grinding conflict, shunning unpopular domestic policies in the hope that Western public patience—and material support for Ukraine will fade first.
Trump’s administration, meanwhile, has concluded that only by combining economic measures with sustained military aid can the West truly force Putin to negotiate.
Both Trump and NATO leaders have called attention to the massive casualties mounting on the Russian side and the damage to Russia’s economy, which continues to reel from war spending, labor shortages, and declining sovereign reserves.
Despite bold threats and new tactics from Washington, officials and experts warn that Russia’s leadership remains deeply committed to achieving its territorial aims, unwilling to make meaningful concessions or accept any deal that falls short of Kremlin goals.
As a result, the conflict appears set to enter an even more volatile and destructive phase, with no clear path to peace in sight.
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