‘Old news’: Russia rolls eyes at US sanctions threat over Ukraine war; ‘we don’t accept threat’

Russia on Thursday dismissed the threat of new US sanctions, saying they’ve “long ceased to be news” for Moscow. This came after US President Donald Trump gave a “serious” ultimatum to Russia regarding the Ukraine war.“Possible new US sanctions have long ceased to be news to us,” Reuters quoted Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman as saying. “We do not accept threats,” she added.Trump on Monday gave Russia a 50-day ultimatum to strike a peace deal with Ukraine, voicing frustration with Moscow’s actions. He also laid out a Nato-supported military aid plan for Kyiv, backed by alliance members, according to AFP.In its initial response, Russia took the threat seriously and had said that it needed “time to analyse what was in Washington.”“President Trump’s statement is very serious. We certainly need time to analyse what was said in Washington,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said.He had further said that Russia “await proposals from the Ukrainian side regarding the timing of the third round of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations”.Trump warned that if no peace deal is reached, tough tariffs would be imposed on Russia’s trading partners to choke off funds fueling Moscow’s war effort. Meanwhile, the conflict remains deadlocked as it enters its fourth year with no breakthrough in sight.