Russia Dismisses U.S. Threat of Further Sanctions Following Deadly Barrage Against Ukrainian Cities

Latest Developments

Russia Defiant Against Latest Trump Threat: Russia’s top spokesman said on September 8 that the prospect of further sanctions from the United States and its allies would have “no effect” in curbing the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement on September 6 that he was ready to impose tougher economic measures against Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov dismissed sanctions as “the agenda supported by the Kyiv regime and European countries,” pledging that Russia would continue its war. Trump spoke out following a Russian barrage of 810 drones, four ballistic missiles, and nine cruise missiles that damaged Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv and killed at least five people, including a mother and her two-month-old baby. While Ukrainian air defenses intercepted most of the barrage, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that 54 drones and nine missiles struck 33 targets in Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, and Odesa.
‘Lives Cannot Be Restored’: “We will rebuild what has been destroyed. But the lives lost cannot be restored. Russia continues to terrorize and murder our people every single day,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have started a long time ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war.” He additionally called on Trump to follow through on his threat of tougher sanctions.
Putin Defying Trump’s Peace Process: Russian President Vladimir Putin has continued to flout Trump’s efforts to broker an end to the war. Putin spoke out against allowing a European-led reassurance force in Ukraine following a ceasefire, stating that any troops deployed in Ukraine would be “legitimate targets.” His comments came after several of Ukraine’s European backers committed to supporting security guarantees for Ukraine.

FDD Expert Response

“The two-week deadline President Trump gave Putin has come and gone, while the Kremlin has once again demonstrated it has no interest in genuine negotiations with Ukraine. President Trump has repeatedly threatened tougher economic pressure against Russia. Now is the time to follow through, starting with sanctions targeting Russian oil revenue. The president should also untie Ukraine’s hands for long-range strikes in Russia.” — John Hardie, Russia Program Deputy Director

“Every time we give Putin a chance to end the war, he responds by launching even more severe attacks against Ukraine. He believes the West is weak and unwilling to respond directly. Nobody should be surprised given that Russia and its ally China want to establish a multipolar world; this is an opportunity for Putin to show that Russia is a great power.” — Ivana Stradner, Research Fellow