Jul 22, 2026
News Writer
Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a press conference with US President Donald Trump at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. (Source: Getty Images)
Russia has hardened its position regarding temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory, signaling it no longer intends to return certain areas under any potential peace arrangement.
Russian officials now plan to maintain control over border districts in Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions to serve as buffer zones, while continuing a military drive to capture the entirety of the eastern Donetsk region, according to Bloomberg on July 22.
Moscow’s updated stance comes as a reaction to intensifying Ukrainian deep strikes into Russian territory, including attacks on Moscow that damaged domestic oil refineries and triggered nationwide fuel shortages.
At the same time, political pressure from the United States has mounted. Former President Donald Trump backed new sanctions legislation originally introduced by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, which proposes tariffs up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas.
Kremlin sources indicate that Russian leader Vladimir Putin abandoned earlier potential territorial concessions due to increasingly adversarial statements from Washington.
Russian leadership views these developments as a sign that informal understandings made during an August 15, 2025, summit between Putin and Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, have collapsed.
While US officials maintain that no binding deal was struck in Alaska, Moscow insisted a package of commitments existed. Kremlin officials asserted that this informal arrangement involved pressuring Ukraine to yield parts of eastern Donetsk in exchange for Russia withdrawing from occupied sections of northern Sumy and northeastern Kharkiv. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not respond to requests for comment.
A bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, originally drafted by the late Senator Lindsey Graham and later led by Senator Richard Blumenthal, secured over 60 co-sponsors in the US Senate, gaining enough support to clear potential procedural hurdles.
The proposed legislation aimed to significantly increase economic pressure on Vladimir Putin by allowing the US president to impose 100% secondary tariffs on countries importing Russian oil and gas, while also targeting Russia’s shadow tanker fleet. Republican leaders fast-tracked the package on July 16, 2026, to move it toward a vote.
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Possibly as a result of the above article, an old news story from May of last year is being reposted on pro-Ukraine platforms. Note : the comments of Trump were made BEFORE the horrendous Alaska “summit.”
Trump warns Putin he is ‘playing with fire’ after Russian attack on Ukraine
US president launches fresh criticism of Russian counterpart and suggests US sanctions could be increased
Agence France-Presse in Washington
27 May 2025
Donald Trump has warned Vladimir Putin that he is “playing with fire”, launching a fresh broadside at his Russian counterpart over stalled Ukraine peace efforts.
Trump’s latest comments came after he called the Kremlin leader “CRAZY” over the weekendfollowing a mass Russian air attack on Kyiv, and warned that Moscow risked new sanctions.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Trump said on his Truth Social network on Tuesday. “He’s playing with fire!”
Trump did not specify what the “really bad” things were, or make any specific threats.
But the Wall Street Journal and CNN reported that Trump was now considering fresh sanctions against Russia as early as this week, while stressing that he could still change his mind.
Trump had told reporters on Sunday he was “absolutely” considering increasing sanctions on Moscow.
The White House said Trump was keeping “all options” open.
“This war is Joe Biden’s fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal. President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table,” the White House’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told AFP in a statement.
Biden imposed sweeping sanctions after Russia’s invasion. Trump has so far avoided what he says could be “devastating” sanctions on Russian banks.
But Trump’s recent rebukes mark a major change from his previous attitude towards Putin, whom he often speaks of with admiration and has previously held off criticizing.
Trump has, however, expressed increasing frustration with Moscow’s position in deadlocked truce negotiations with Kyiv.
That frustration boiled over at the weekend when Russia launched a record drone barrage at Ukraine, killing at least 13 people.skip past newsletter promotion
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Sunday night
Russia’s attacks have continued despite a phone call between Trump and Putin eight days ago in which the US leader said the Russian president had agreed to “immediately” start ceasefire talks.
Moscow on Tuesday accused Kyiv of trying to “disrupt” peace efforts and said its aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent days were a “response” to escalating Ukrainian drone strikes on its own civilians.
US lawmakers have stepped up calls for Trump to slap sanctions on Russia.
The veteran Republican senator Chuck Grassley called for strong measures to let Putin to know it was “game over”.
Two other senators, Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, also called for heavy “secondary” sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil, gas and raw materials.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/27/trump-putin-ukraine
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Trump said on his Truth Social network on Tuesday. “He’s playing with fire!”
Just weeks later all that was forgotten at the grovel fest in Alaska.
“This war is Joe Biden’s fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal. President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table,” the White House’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told AFP in a statement.”
Leavitt establishing her credentials as pro-ruZZia scum.
The runt is just like the desperate coach who is telling his losing team to double down and win the game. It usually never works.