USA

July 16, 2025 9:34am

Ben Borges

According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin sees no reason to back down. Instead, the undisclosed sources say the Russian leader is confident that Russia’s military and economy can withstand additional Western pressure.

July 16, 2025 8:09am

Ben Borges

“They’re already being shipped,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters when asked about Patriot missiles and other weaponry. “And in all cases, the United States gets paid back in full."

July 15, 2025 9:27pm

Ben Borges

Key developments on July 15:

• Zelensky shouldn't target Moscow, Trump says
• Ukrainian cyberattack "paralyzes" major Russian drone supplier, source claims
• Ukraine passes bill to withdraw from anti-personnel mine ban treaty
• Germany to decide on more Patriots for Ukraine "within days or weeks"

U.S.

July 15, 2025 8:00pm

Ben Borges

U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks come after the Financial Times (FT) reported, citing undisclosed sources, that he asked President Volodymyr Zelensky whether Kyiv could strike Moscow or St Petersburg if provided with long-range U.S. weapons.

July 15, 2025 7:47pm

Ben Borges

The teasing on July 11 of U.S. President Donald Trump's "big announcement" on Russia had raised hopes in Ukraine over the weekend that the White House was finally going to take concrete action to pressure Moscow to end its full-scale invasion.

Those hopes would not

July 15, 2025 7:30pm

Ben Borges

President Donald Trump on July 14 announced the U.S. would impose "severe tariffs" on Russia unless Moscow agrees to a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days, but experts who spoke to the Kyiv Independent say the plan is deeply flawed.

"I'

July 15, 2025 5:05pm

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Ben Borges

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, acknowledged the need for time to digest President Donald Trump's new ultimatums concerning the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has not ruled out the possibility of a personal response from President Vladimir Putin himself.

In Moscow, Trump's recent statements on the Ukrainian-Russian war have been met with gravity, as expressed by Peskov in remarks to Interfax.

Peskov noted that part of Trump's address was directed at Putin, necessitating a careful analysis of Washington's statements by the Kremlin. "These statements are indeed serious. Some are directly aimed at President Putin. Naturally, we need to study them thoroughly," Peskov conveyed to journalists. He added that Putin might decide to personally respond to Trump's position if deemed necessary.

"I wouldn't want to jump to conclusions. Let's wait and see if the president decides to comment personally," Peskov added.

On July 14, Trump's "very pleasant talks" with Putin were overshadowed by new attacks on Ukraine, provoking his ire. Trump pledged to send "an array of weaponry" to NATO and Ukraine.

Trump's statements, which have unnerved the Kremlin, encompass geopolitical and economic threats:

- Secondary sanctions will be imposed on Russia and its partners unless a peace agreement is reached within 50 days.

- 100-percent tariffs and secondary sanctions will be imposed on buyers of Russian oil.

On July 14, Trump also expressed disbelief in Putin's aspiration for peace, promising Ukraine 17 Patriot missile defense systems. He asserted that he would not be duped and agreed that Russia is senselessly bombing Ukrainian civilians.

According to The Washington Post, Trump has another ace up his sleeve - Tomahawk cruise missiles, which he is contemplating sending to Ukraine. Although not yet included in the supply list, these missiles could target Moscow.

July 15, 2025 3:01pm

Ben Borges

Following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing on July 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that mutual trust between the two countries had “deepened” and called on both sides to “strengthen mutual support on multilateral forums."

July 15, 2025 2:57pm

Ben Borges

After U.S. President Donald Trump on July 14 threatened to impose “severe” tariffs on Russia in 50 days if there is no peace deal with Ukraine, the highly-anticipated statement was met largely with indifference and even relief among Russian commentators.

In the first response from a senior

July 15, 2025 12:57pm

Ben Borges

“This statement from the U.S. president is quite serious. Some of what he said appears to be addressed personally to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

July 15, 2025 12:15pm

Ben Borges

Donald Trump encouraged the strategy so that Russia could “feel the pain” and agree to negotiations, the Financial Times reported, citing its sources.

July 15, 2025 9:00am

Ben Borges

U.S. President Donald Trump said he believed a deal with Moscow had been close on four separate occasions.

July 15, 2025 4:23am

Ben Borges

Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated on July 14 that the Senate would likely delay advancing a significant package of sanctions targeting Russia’s trading partners.

July 15, 2025 1:56am

Ben Borges

“On one hand, it is very positive that President Trump is taking on a strong stance on Russia… On the other hand, 50 days is a very long time if we see that they are killing innocent civilians,” EU Special Envoy Kaja Kallas said.

July 14, 2025 9:41pm

Ben Borges

Key developments on July 14:

• Trump threatens Russia with "severe" tariffs if no Ukraine deal reached in 50 days
• Patriot systems, missiles may arrive in Ukraine 'within days,' Trump says
• Ukraine contracts "tens of thousands" interceptor drones
• Putin reportedly told Trump he'll

July 14, 2025 9:00pm

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Ben Borges

In a dramatic turn of events, Moscow finds itself in panic mode as former President Donald Trump pivots to support Kyiv, shocking Russian elites who can no longer conceal their anxiety.

The Russian capital is reeling from the sudden shift in American administration's stance on Russia and Ukraine. Trump's decision to significantly ramp up arms supplies to Kyiv has created a whirlwind in Moscow. Rumors that Ukraine might soon possess missiles capable of striking Russia's capital have sent shock waves among Russians, prompting nuclear threats. Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Russian state owned Russia Today (RT), declared that giving Ukraine long-range missiles would lead to a "nuclear ultimatum" from Russia.

Russian propagandists have resorted to desperate threats, with Simonyan writing on Telegram that the world stands on the brink of nuclear escalation and that if Moscow is hit, Russia will have "no choice."

Trump's reversal has been a painful blow to the Kremlin. Until the last moment, Moscow hoped that he would stand as an obstacle to the supply of offensive weapons to Ukraine. However, according to Axios, after a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 3, Trump finalized the decision to provide Kyiv with long-range missiles that would, for the first time, render Russia's capital vulnerable.

Russian pro-war channels and state media have almost synchronously heralded the breakdown of any negotiations. Propagandists rushed to warn of a new level of warfare: military blogger Kirill Fedorov wrote, "the peace deal is dead." The Russian newspaper "Moskovsky Komsomolets" acknowledged that strikes on Russian decision-making centers could provide a pretext for the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

The Telegram channel "Veteran's Notes" suggested retaliatory strikes on NATO countries' factories. This barrage of statements reveals not strength but a nervous confusion among Russian authorities, who realize their threats may this time remain ineffective.

Simonyan does not hide Russia's fear: that if missiles are supplied, Kyiv would gain the capability to respond to Moscow with the same tactics used to terrorize Ukrainian cities for over two years. Her message carries a distinct tone of hysteria: "Nothing happened when the world saw footage of bombs burning Tel Aviv. Moscow won't happen either. Or so they think."

American journalists note that unlike President Joe Biden's team, Trump seems less inclined to yield to Russian threats. He has openly stated that he understands Putin's rhetoric: "Nice talks by day, bombings by night."

Thus, the Kremlin faces a new reality: its blackmail tactics no longer halt arms supplies, and its nuclear threats echo like a faint attempt to mask fear. Now even Moscow's residents may truly understand what war means.