A top Russian official has made a bold claim that President Donald Trump is inching the US closer to war after he said he was 'very disappointed' in Vladimir Putin.
The 79-year-old Republican leader has been trying to bring the conflict in Eastern Europe to an end ever since reclaiming the Oval Office in January, but his efforts have been consistently rebuked by the Kremlin.
Speaking yesterday (July 28) following a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the POTUS made reference to this.
"We thought we had it settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever," he told reporters in Scotland.
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"You have bodies lying all over the street, and I say that’s not the way to do it. So we’ll see what happens with that."
Earlier this month, Trump threatened to impose 'very severe' tariffs on Russia if Putin did not agree a ceasefire within 50 days, with the deadline due to expire on September 2.
But on Monday, he said he would 'reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number', adding: “I think I already know the answer, what’s going to happen.”
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Later, he suggested he would cut the time frame to 'about 10 or 12 days' from yesterday, which would see the deadline expire by August 9.
Now, responding to these claims, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who sits on Putin's Security Council, took to Twitter to slam Trump and the US' most recent involvement in the conflict.
"Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10," he typed.
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"He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don't go down the Sleepy Joe road!"
Yes, Medvedev has threatened America with war if it continues to meddle with Russian affairs, however spokesperson for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, replied to reporters today.
He explained that Putin's office has 'took note of President Trump's statement yesterday', adding that he 'would like to avoid any assessments' of the president's remarks.
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Trump's visit to Downing Street involved heavily around the 'barbaric war' in Russia and to 'reflect on progress in their 50-day drive to arm Ukraine and force Putin to the negotiating table', as well trade talks.
Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine continues, with Russian drone and missile strikes hitting the country’s north-eastern Sumy region on Sunday, wounding four people.
Russian officials also claimed to have shot down 150 Ukrainian drones, with one person killed and three others injured near St Petersburg.
Joe Yates