Russia responds after Trump threatens punishment

Russia has officially reacted to recent peace discussions between the United States and Ukraine, which took place earlier this week.

The war between Ukraine and Russia has raged on since February 2022, when Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion. Now, after more than three years of conflict, the U.S. is ramping up efforts to help broker a ceasefire and bring the war to an end.

As part of these efforts, American and Ukrainian officials recently met in Saudi Arabia for negotiations reportedly lasting eight hours. The meeting appeared to be productive—far more so than the tense White House discussions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump last month.

Following the talks, the U.S. and Ukraine released a joint statement outlining their goal of securing a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. Trump later reinforced this stance, warning that there would be severe repercussions if Moscow refused to comply.

“We could do things very bad for Russia,” Trump told reporters. “Would be devastating for Russia. But I don’t want to do that because I want to see peace.”

In addition to seeking a ceasefire, the U.S. also pledged to resume military aid and security assistance to Ukraine. However, final decisions regarding a potential raw minerals trade deal remain undecided.

While Washington and Kyiv have maintained close communication throughout the process, Russia has expressed frustration over being excluded from the talks.

In an interview with pro-Kremlin U.S. bloggers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized the negotiations, claiming Russia has been deliberately sidelined.

“Nobody is talking to us,” Lavrov stated, according to the New York Post. “They keep saying, ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,’ but they do everything about Russia without Russia.”

Lavrov also insisted that Russia would not sign any agreements that could jeopardize its people. Furthermore, he reiterated Moscow’s firm stance against NATO forces entering Ukraine, stating that such a move would not be tolerated “under any conditions.”

For years, Ukraine has sought NATO membership, a prospect that Russia has aggressively opposed. Moscow is reportedly pushing to prevent any foreign military presence in Ukraine as a condition for a peace deal, according to Reuters.

Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to be seeking international recognition of Russia’s claim over Crimea, a region that was part of the Soviet Union before Ukraine gained independence.

Despite Lavrov’s claims that Russia has been excluded from negotiations, reports suggest Moscow recently presented the U.S. with a list of demands—contradicting the notion that it has been entirely left out of discussions.

These demands echo those Russia made during talks with the Biden administration in 2021 and 2022. However, those negotiations ultimately failed, and Russia went ahead with its invasion in February 2022.

With these conflicting statements and ongoing tensions, it remains uncertain whether Putin is genuinely open to a ceasefire—or if he intends to prolong the conflict further.