Kremlin issues chilling nuclear war warning hours after Trump piles pressure on Putin

Hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced new military support for Ukraine and threatened “very severe” tariffs on Russia, Russian state TV broadcast chilling warnings of nuclear escalation, signaling a sharp rise in tensions between Washington and Moscow.

During a televised segment, Russian military commentator Aleksandr Sladkov accused the United States of trying to intimidate Russia into accepting a peace deal. Sladkov claimed the conflict was no longer about Ukraine, but a broader war with NATO.

“Trump is trying to scare us with missiles, but this is difficult to do,” he said. “Trump should be scared.”

Sladkov went as far as invoking the use of Russia’s strategic Yars nuclear system, suggesting retaliation if Western support for Ukraine continues.

“Everyone is trying to push us to turn Kyiv and Lviv into Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” he added.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev mocked Trump’s warnings, posting on X (formerly Twitter):

“Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered... Russia didn’t care.”

Trump’s comments came as he unveiled a plan to allow European countries to purchase U.S. weapons and transfer them to Ukraine, part of a new military package that includes Patriot missile systems and other advanced arms.

“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days—tariffs at about 100%. You’d call them secondary tariffs,” Trump said. “I use trade for a lot of things, but it’s great for settling wars.”

The latest measures are aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow, as U.S. frustration with Putin grows over the lack of a peace settlement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the support, citing the urgent need for more defenses amid intensifying Russian drone and missile attacks on civilians.

“We appreciate the readiness to provide additional Patriots,” Zelensky said, referring to U.S.-made air defense systems. “There will also be deliveries of other weapons to protect lives and repel Russian assaults. It’s important to increase pressure on Russia for the sake of peace and to save lives.”

Trump met in Washington this week with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who reaffirmed transatlantic unity in support of Ukraine. While Trump has delayed new secondary tariffs for 50 days, the message to Moscow was clear: further inaction on peace may trigger severe economic consequences.