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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Dmitry Medvedev taunted President Donald Trump for shifting positions on the Russia-Ukraine war, likening it to a seesaw, after he directed the Pentagon to supply Kyiv with more weapons.
Medvedev is deputy to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Security Council of Russia, which advises Putin on national security and strategic matters, and is a former president and prime minister of the country.
"The American is once again riding his favorite political seesaw," Medevdev posted to his Telegram page on Tuesday morning, originally in Russian.
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"'I'm satisfied with the conversation with Putin.' 'I'm disappointed with the conversation with Putin.' 'We're not supplying new weapons to Ukraine.' 'We'll supply lots of weapons to Ukraine for defense,'" he wrote.
"How should we react to this? The same way as before. The same way our warriors do. The same way the Supreme Commander-in-Chief does. Not at all. Keep pursuing the goals of the Special Military Operation. Take back our land. Work for Victory."
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment outside of normal business hours.
Trump 'Disappointed' as Putin Pushes in Ukraine
Trump's directive comes after his administration scrapped a planned shipment of weapons to Ukraine in light of a Pentagon review that raised concerns about the level of domestic stockpiles.
However, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement late Monday that, at Trump's direction, the Department of Defense "is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops."
Trump was also left "very disappointed" by a recent call with Putin, and said he did not think the Russian leader wanted to stop fighting in Ukraine.
Russian missile and drone strikes have pounded Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, causing civilian deaths, and Moscow's troops are amassing and advancing in the east, despite Putin saying he ultimately wants peace. Russia also accuses Ukraine of hitting civilian areas.
Trump is attempting to broker peace in the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine and its European allies say only more pressure on Putin, through greater military support for Kyiv and tougher sanctions on Russia, can achieve this outcome.
Trump's skeptical assessment of Putin's intentions signal that he may be moving in Kyiv's direction on how to end Russia's war, a tough goal that has remained elusive for the self-styled global peacemaker.
Kyiv has turned to its European allies to increase the supply of weapons, forging new production and purchase agreements in anticipation of a slowdown in the vital shipments from the U.S. under Trump.
"There is only one recipe to stop these threats: weapons and strength—alongside economic strikes against Russia and its allies. Threats must be prevented, not tolerated," Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said in a post on X.
"The cure for Russian terrorism is American weapons, combined with European and Ukrainian firepower."
Lavrov Lists Russia Demands for Peace Deal
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov listed Moscow's demands for a peace deal that would end its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, including Kyiv's demilitarization and neutrality, international recognition of territory occupied by Moscow, and the lifting of sanctions.
"These provisions must be included in a legally binding agreement for peaceful settlement," Lavrov told Hungarian publication Magyar Nemzet in an interview published on Monday, July 7.
Lavrov also said his country wants protections for ethnic Russians and Russian culture in Ukraine, which he accused Kyiv of "destroying" since 2014.
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