A Russian delegate at the UN has replied to Donald Trump after the US president told Vladimir Putin to “stop this ridiculous war” in Ukraine.
Writing in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said Russia’s economy was stalling so it was time to agree to a peace deal – or face increased taxes, tariffs and sanctions from America.
He added that he “always had a very good relationship” with the Russian president and that he was not “looking to hurt” Moscow.
Russia’s UN deputy envoy, Dmitry Polyanskiy, told Reuters that a settlement all depends on what Trump believes is a deal.
He said: “It’s not merely the question of ending the war. It’s first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis.”
Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in a land grab, but claimed it was a “special military operation” meant to root out neo-Nazism in the Kyiv government and address the country’s growing allegiance to the West.
Polyanskiy also suggested that the ball is actually in Washington’s court.
He said: “We have to see what does the ‘deal’ mean in President Trump’s understanding.
“He is not responsible for what the US has been doing in Ukraine since 2014, making it ‘anti-Russia’ and preparing for the war with us, but it is in his power now to stop this malicious policy.”
This statement overlooks how Trump was last in office from 2017 until 2021.
And Putin has also warned that any peace deal must recognise the “realities on the ground”, meaning Moscow wants to retain control over the 20% of Ukraine it current occupies.
The Kremlin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Thursday that Trump often applied sanctions during his first term.
He added: “We do not see any particularly new elements here. He likes these methods, at least he liked them during his first presidency.”
Peskov added that Kremlin “carefully record all the nuances” in Trump’s statements.
Other pro-war voices in Russia seem rather unnerved by Trump’s threat. Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent, Alexander Kots, wrote on Telegram: “As I’ve said before, it’s better to prepare for the worst. Soon, we’ll look back on Biden’s term with nostalgia, like a thaw.”
Before Trump’s message on social media, Moscow had shown a surprising willingness to engage with him.
Putin congratulated the Republican on his inauguration earlier this week, and said he “welcomes” the US president’s bid to do “everything possible to prevent World War III”.
Trump’s ultimatum for Putin came on Wednesday, two days after he was officially sworn back into the White House for his second term.
The Republican had promised to end the war within his first 24 hours back on the job, although he has never explained how he would do so.
Some reports say Trump has asked his special envoy Keith Kellogg to end the war in 100 days.
When asked on Monday how long it was going to take to reach a deal, he told reporters: “I have to speak to President Putin. We’re going to have to find out.”