Former Russian President Medvedev calls for preemptive strikes while Trump gives Putin a 50-day ultimatum to reach peace with Ukraine or face sanctions.

Russia will face "very tough" duties and secondary sanctions from the United States if no ceasefire agreement or peace deal on Ukraine is reached in 50 days, White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said at a briefing.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s recent reaffirmation of Russia’s nuclear doctrine is a thinly veiled warning to the United States, prompted by President Trump’s new, more aggressive Ukraine policy.

The USD/RUB exchange rate reacted to the US and Russian consumer inflation data released this week. A report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that the headline inflation rose from 2.3% in May to 2.7% in June.

Russia and China's foreign ministers on Sunday discussed their relations with the United States and the prospects for ending the war in Ukraine, Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. President Vladimir Putin's foreign minister,

Russian officials and commentators have shown little indication that Moscow is about to change course under new pressure.

As Russia delays peace negotiations with Ukraine, U.S. elected officials in Congress are considering a new sanctions bill to force Russia to end its war.

Georgia was the poster child of post-Soviet countries on their way to democracy and freedom. US lawmakers hope a bill will help combat democratic backsliding.

Pentagon officials said details were still being worked out, and experts doubted Mr. Trump’s threat of huge tariffs for Russian trading partners.

China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing, days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Putin has sometimes described China as an "ally".

Putin ally warns Moscow will launch preventative strikes against the west ‘if necessary’ - Russian air defence units destroyed 122 Ukrainian drones overnight that targeted the capital Moscow, official