US President Donald Trump effectively gave Vladimir Putin an extraordinary green light: 50 days to finish his brutal summer offensive in Ukraine before facing any consequences. Only if there is no agreement to end the war by the end of this period in early September, does the threatened 100% rates on Russia and secondary sanctions on Russian trading partners will come into force.
This should seem like an eternity to millions of non -sleeping Ukrainians who are now supporting a climb of Russian attacks with deadly missiles and mass attacks with drones in their villages and cities.
But in Moscow, the authorities breathe quietly with relief. After all, it could have been much worse for them. The sanctions could have been immediate, if President Trump wanted, or much higher – such as the 500% tariff rate that is being proposed in a Bipartisan bill in the US Senate.
Not that a renewed threat of sanctions is likely to alter Kremlin’s course in Ukraine. Far from it. Russia is already one of the most sanctioned countries in the world, punished for interference allegations in US elections, as well as by other evil activities, from Crimea to Syria, through Britain and beyond.
Kremlin has already established a complex set of flexible solutions to maintain its fragile economy as it refuses to change its behavior.
“Life has shown that no decision of sanctions against Russia produces results,” said Anatoly Aksakov, an important Russian deputy, when asked about the latest threat of sanctions. “Sanctions lead Russia to advance with confidence, to develop its economy, to make a structural restructuring of its national economy,” he added.
In addition, internal sources of Kremlin suspect that the period 50 days before any new US sanctions arrive is enough time for his military impulse in Ukraine Compense – or, in the absence of that, for a notoriously changeable president to change ideas about Russia once again.
“In 50 days, oh, how much it can change, both on the battlefield and in the disposition of those in power in the US and NATO,” said a prominent Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev on social networks. “But our mood will not be affected,” he promised, stressing that Russia considers it to have a long -term approach to Ukraine, while Western governments, specifically Trump administration, are seen as fickle.
Still, Russia is truly alarmed with the perspective of As, even the defensive defense systems of antimelsile Patriot, to enter Ukraine again. Moscow considers that the almost daily bombing of Kiev and other Ukrainian cities are an essential aspect of his current military offensive, along with the attack offensive on the Ukrainian front lines.
The idea is that the Ukrainian determination to continue to fight is exhausted, that the political will in Europe decreases and that the country eventually capitulates. But the agreement to, manufactured in the US, which give protection against air attacks, makes this result less likely.
And some frustrated Russian politicians are attacking, accusing President Trump of speaking of peace, but of prolonging the behind -the -scenes war. “Ukraine, this man is fooling you!” Said Leonid Kalashnikov, a Communist Party deputy. “He wants this war to continue, but not by his own hands,” added Kalashnikov.
On state television, rigidly controlled by Kremlin, Washington’s turnaround to supply weapons to Ukraine was harshly criticized, with President Trump to be compared to his presidential predecessor, widely despised in Russia.
“Trump followed in the footsteps of Joseph Biden and promised weapons to Ukraine to take Moscow to the negotiation table,” said Olga Skabeyeva, a prominent Pró-Kremlin host. “Biden was doing this in the last three and a half years. But, as we know, he was unsuccessful,”
