Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday pushed back strongly against U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50-day ultimatum to end the Ukraine conflict, declaring that Moscow would “cope with new sanctions” and questioning the motivations behind Trump’s aggressive stance.
Lavrov dismissed Trump’s threats of 100% “secondary tariffs” as yet another political maneuver rooted in Western pressure. “We want to understand what the U.S. President is moved by,” Lavrov said during a press conference. “I have no doubt we will cope with new sanctions.”
Lavrov’s remarks came in response to Trump’s ultimatum issued a day earlier, warning Moscow to reach a ceasefire deal with Ukraine within 50 days or face unprecedented economic penalties, including punitive tariffs on Russia’s trade partners. Trump also announced plans for advanced weapons deliveries to Ukraine, funded primarily by NATO allies.
The Russian foreign minister suggested that Trump is acting under intense pressure from European Union and NATO leaders to take a tougher line against Moscow. “Clearly, [Trump] is under enormous, improper, I would say — pressure by the European Union and current NATO leaders,” Lavrov stated, as reported by Russian state media outlet RT.
Lavrov also criticized what he described as the West’s one-sided approach to the conflict, accusing the Ukrainian government of exploiting Western support. “The regime of Zelensky continues to demand weapons from the West at the mounting expense of Western taxpayers,” he said.
According to Lavrov, sanctions have already inflicted damage globally and are increasingly being questioned by European analysts. “European economists and political experts who are objective acknowledge that this sanctions war is damaging the nations who initiated it,” he noted. “We are already dealing with an unprecedented number of sanctions, and I am certain we can handle more.”
Reiterating Moscow’s longstanding position, Lavrov argued that NATO’s expansion and policies had directly contributed to the Ukraine war. He claimed the West had ignored Russian security concerns for decades and was now relying on coercive tactics that would ultimately prove ineffective. “We have faced countless ultimatums in the past. None have changed our core strategic interests,” Lavrov asserted.
Back in Washington, Trump reiterated his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday. “If Russia doesn’t agree to peace within 50 days, we will be imposing tariffs like they’ve never seen before,” Trump warned.
