Asiye Latife Yilmaz and Elena Teslova
31 July 2025•Update: 31 July 2025
ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed former Russian president and current deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, warning him to "watch his words," after Medvedev threatened war.
“Tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Medvedev, who lashed out at Trump on Monday, warning that Trump’s escalating pressure on the Kremlin over the war in Ukraine risks triggering a broader conflict, not just between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the US.
"50 days or 10…He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don't go down the Sleepy Joe road!" Medvedev said on X.
Medvedev’s remarks came after Trump on Monday threatened Russia with sanctions and secondary tariffs if it does not end the Ukraine war in "about 10 or 12 days," much earlier than a previous deadline.
In his post, Trump also dismissed the idea of economic cooperation with Russia or India, saying: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”
He said that the US has done “very little business with India” as their tariffs are “among the highest in the world,” and added: “Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way.”
Trump announced Wednesday that India will face a 25% tariff, plus additional penalties, starting Aug. 1. He accused New Delhi of unfair trade practices and extensive energy and arms relations with Russia.
In response to Trump's remarks, Medvedev said on Thursday the US president’s reaction to his words proves his rightfulness.
"If some statements by Russia’s former president trigger such a nervous reaction from the tough US president, it means Russia is right on all counts and will keep moving forward," he stressed.
Meanwhile, in New Delhi, reacting to Trump's statement on the Indian economy, main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said: "Yes, he is right."
"Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact," Gandhi told reporters outside the parliament.
