Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that Russia had no plans to attack NATO or Europe but, if the West escalated the Ukraine war any further, then Moscow should respond and, if necessary,

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has threatened the West with “preemptive strikes” if it continues to escalate its support for Ukraine, a belligerent response to President Trump’s new hardline policy.

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said on Thursday, vowing it would not accept the "blackmail" of Washington's new sanctions ultimatum.

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

And they are going to be very bad for the countries involved.” Secondary sanctions do not just target Russia directly, they threaten to cut off access to US markets for any country maintaining trade relationships with Moscow.

President Trump’s threat to destroy Russia’s international oil market by Labor Day comes as President Putin pulls up the drawbridges for a closed economy that some call “fortress Russia.” Mr. Trump has given his Russian counterpart 50 days — until September 2 — to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.