Russian military bloggers, known as milbloggers, have responded in defiant terms to Donald Trump’s ultimatum to his Russian counterpart, describing it as "blackmail" from a U.S. president acting more like a "king of the playground."
On Jan. 22, Trump called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to "make a deal" to end the war in Ukraine, warning that failure to reach an agreement would lead to increased sanctions, tariffs, and taxes on Russian goods.
Trump’s statement comes after months of repeated claims he would quickly put an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Though it is still unknown how Trump plans to reach a deal between Russia and Ukraine, members of his team have made it clear that both sides will have to make concessions.
In a typically bombastic post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he was "not looking to hurt Russia" and maintained he has "always had a very good relationship" with Putin.
"We can do it the easy way or the hard way — and the easy way is always better," Trump wrote.
"It's time to make a deal. No more lives should be lost."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
The official Russian response was relatively measured, with Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy saying Russia would have to determine what Trump means by "deal" before entering into negotiations.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Jan. 23 said Moscow didn’t see "any particularly new elements" in what Trump said, but added Russia was ready for an "equal and respectful" dialogue with the U.S.
But over on Telegram, a messenger app, Russian milbloggers were far more vocal in their opinions of Trump’s ultimatum.
Pro-Kremlin military bloggers are highly influential in the Russian media ecosystem, sharing insider war coverage and pro-war analysis of events, usually on Telegram.
Highly nationalistic, the most prominent have followings in the hundreds of thousands, with some like Rybar having more than a million.
German Kulikovsky/Starshe Eddy (Older than the Edda)
Trump's ultimatum — in the end, good old Donald is a typical American (salesman), not a politician. Nothing but lies in a fiery speech, all to sell an uninformed average person a completely unnecessary and very poor-quality product.
When American astronauts land on Mars, and the Russian army loses a million soldiers killed in the war with "khokhols" (a derogatory word for Ukrainians) then maybe it will be worth considering his proposals.
But for now, it's better to just shut the door or hang up the phone to avoid listening to what the salesman says about his junk.
Yevheniia Motorevska
Alexey Kargapoltsev/Zapiski veterana (A veteran’s notes)
Everyone has already interpreted Trump’s ultimatum to Russia however they please, but the meaning is the same — either you do as I say, or I’ll pressure you even harder with sanctions.
As I wrote earlier, there can be no talk of peace. Russia cannot accept what is being offered to it, and Ukraine will not agree to what Russia demands of it.
Ukraine should prepare for the complete destruction of its male population, and Russia for a long and grueling war.
Dva Maiora (Two Majors)
'To make a deal' — an important and well-established American expression Trump took from business. Before the elections, he called Zelensky ineffective. That’s the first point.
Secondly… this is a public ultimatum. How poorly Trump has studied the leadership of our country, to whom he is offering that very deal. Nothing will be agreed to under pressure.
And thirdly — why should Russia believe the Yankees this time, (believe) that they won’t cheat us again?
Boris Rozhin/Colonel Cassad
Trump is threatening Russia with new sanctions and the introduction of additional tariffs on Russian goods supplied to the U.S. if Russia doesn’t end the special military operation.
We’ve already been through this under (former U.S. President Joe) Biden.
Attempts to change Russia's position through primitive threats are unlikely to bring Trump the outcome he desires.
Kotsnews (Aleksandr Kots)
As we assumed, Trump’s plan is an ultimatum and blackmail.
Like I said, better to prepare for the worst. Biden’s term will soon be remembered with nostalgia as a thaw. Remember this post.
In a later post…
Perhaps Donald Trump is unaware, but Vladimir Putin belongs to the pre-TikTok era of global politics, where serious leaders discuss important issues through dialogue, not electronic notes. To express his vision for ending the war in Ukraine, Trump could, at the very least, pick up the phone.
This (drama) with demands to make a deal or else sanctions, tariffs, and so on, is hardly appropriate.
What exactly do we still trade with the U.S. that’s critical to our budget? The last significant revenue stream came from uranium sales — the U.S. imported a quarter of its nuclear fuel from Russia. But last May, Biden banned the import of our low-enriched uranium, and in November, Moscow responded by restricting enriched uranium exports to the U.S. Now you can freeze your ears off just to spite Uncle Sam.
To be fair, Trump hasn’t turned on this thug-like political mode exclusively toward Russia. Canada, Denmark, Panama, and Mexico are also taking hits from "Bold Donnie" and his team. Apparently, the heady success with Hamas (which was open to a ceasefire without threats from the American president) gave him a sense of omnipotence. Trump seems determined to come out looking like a winner no matter the situation.
But Russia isn’t Gaza. Starting a dialogue with ultimatums isn’t the most farsighted move for a leader aiming to position himself as a peacemaker.
Moscow will never agree to any deal dictated through blackmail and threats.
In short, (it’s a) fail, Donald Fredovich. Leave and return as a proper statesman representing a great power, not an overconfident ‘king of the playground.’
Boldizsar Gyori
