President Donald Trump exploded at former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev after he humiliated the MAGA chief by comparing him to his nemesis, referring to “Sleepy Joe” Biden.
Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s security council, sparked a war of words when he reacted mockingly to Trump’s ultimatum that Russia reach a ceasefire deal with Ukraine within 10 days, or the U.S. will inflict debilitating secondary tariffs on its trading partners.
Vladimir Putin’s former prime minister invoked Trump’s disparaging nickname for his predecessor, urging him not to go “down the Sleepy Joe road.” Medvedev said that Trump’s threats were marching the two countries “towards war.”
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“Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10 … He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran,” Putin’s attack dog said on social media earlier this week. “2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!”
The comment about former President Joe Biden relates to the previous administration’s hostile relationship with Moscow.
Trump blasted back on Thursday, saying the Russian was playing with fire and “entering very dangerous territory.”
A riled Trump responded Thursday on Truth Social, dubbing Medvedev a “failed president.”
“Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!” Trump wrote.
The “failed president” jibe relates to Medvedev’s controversial stint as Russia’s leader.
He served a single term, essentially as a placeholder president between 2008 and 2012, because Putin was constitutionally barred from a third consecutive term.
Earlier this month, Trump warned he would slap 100 percent “secondary” tariffs on Russia if it failed to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days.
He then revised this timescale on Monday, giving Russia just 10 to 12 days.
When Trump announced the first deadline, Medvedev responded on X by mocking the U.S. president. “Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin,” he said. “The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.”
