"Russia Is Not Israel or Iran – It's Bigger Than That"

Deputy head of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has slammed US President Donald Trump for what he described as playing "the ultimatum game" with Kremlin. Posting on X on Monday, Medvedev wrote: Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine but with own country.”Medvedev reminded Trump that Russia is not Israel or Iran, “so it should not be given ultimatums.” Medvedev’s remarks came after Donald Trump’s statement that he would reduce from 50 days to 10 or 12 days the deadline he earlier gave to Russia to end the war in Ukraine. In a statement on Monday, Trump said he was disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin's failure to end the war in Ukraine, and that he was reducing a deadline to agree a peace settlement to 10 or 12 days. Two weeks ago, Trump said Putin had 50 days to come to an agreement. On July 15, Trump announced a new plan aimed at forcing Russia to negotiating table. He revealed that as part of this plan, new weapons would be funneled to Ukraine and also threatened Russia with economic punishment if peace isn’t reached in 50 days. “We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs at about 100%, you’d call them secondary tariffs,” the US president said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office. Donald Trump has been pushing for the end of hostilities in Ukraine and is increasingly frustrated over Russia’s failure to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine.