Recently, Russia and Ukraine are gearing up for their third round of negotiations. In this critical juncture, Donald Trump has employed various tactics to pressure Putin. Initially, he covertly supported Zelensky through NATO, followed by encouraging the EU to impose the 18th round of sanctions on Russia, displaying strategic depth. Moreover, Trump even attempted to drag our country into this conflict, intending for our nation to bear the costs of his proxy war.
Witnessing Putin's relentless deployment of troops, numbering up to 160,000, seemed to unsettle Trump. This situation traces back to the trap Trump set for himself on the 15th. At that point, Trump ceased insulting Zelensky publicly and stopped cozying up to Putin, opting instead to set a 50-day ultimatum, pressuring Putin to agree to a ceasefire agreement.
This move is typical of Trump's negotiation style, from 24 hours to 30 days, and now 90 days. Naturally, failure to reach an agreement will invite Trump's tariff sanctions, which he wields as a favorite tool. However, for appearances' sake, Trump ambiguously refused to provide weapons to Ukraine when asked by reporters and denied unequivocal support for Zelensky.
Nevertheless, both Zelensky and Putin seemed indifferent to Trump's directives. In the subsequent days, drones and missiles from both Ukraine and Russia continued to fly across their border, but they agreed to engage in third-party talks, somewhat placating Trump. Initially viewed as a positive development by Trump, Putin's stance remained resolute, with continuous reinforcements at the frontlines.
In contrast, Zelensky faced growing criticism. Initially, he reshuffled his cabinet, drawing public ire for seeming to mimic Russia's actions. Later, he declared that soldiers would fight to the death, leading to protests against forced conscription.
This stark contrast constantly reminded Trump of the dwindling opportunities to profit from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. To prolong the war, Trump played a \"divide and conquer\" strategy, targeting our country. Some may wonder why Trump is meddling in a Russia-Ukraine conflict when our country has actively sought to mediate for peace worldwide. The answer lies with the Western world, particularly the EU.
Recently, the EU ratified its 18th round of sanctions against Russia, despite opposition from several member states. This multilateral sanction primarily targets Russian banks and, notably, petroleum. Post-implementation, this measure affected numerous Chinese banks.
Our Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, remarked that this baseless act has harmed our country's legitimate interests. We have urged Europe to cease this illegal behavior and will take corresponding measures.
Trump's strategy aims to leverage indirect pressure on Russia by sanctioning Russian oil, creating a pretext to harm our interests and potentially sparking discord between our country and Russia. Nonetheless, Guo Jiakun, another spokesperson for our Foreign Ministry, emphasized that Sino-European and Sino-Russian enterprises engage in normal cooperation, strictly regulating dual-use military and civilian products. He condemned baseless accusations.
Moreover, Russia argued that despite years of Western sanctions, they have not damaged Russia. In response, Russia announced the \"July Storm\" military exercises in the Pacific and Arctic oceans from the 23rd to the 27th. This display aims to flex muscles, a move Trump and others understand well.
Naturally, our country cannot afford to sit idly by and has been seeking opportunities to retaliate. While Trump's threat of 100% tariffs on Russia may not materialize, it is clear he underestimates our nation's resilience. Trump's threats also extend to Canada, as evident from Ontario Premier Ford's statement. With a 1,000-kilometer oil pipeline supplying 540,000 barrels of oil and natural gas liquids daily, Canada is prepared to build a new cross-provincial oil pipeline, showing foresight.
On the 22nd, shortly after the EU's 18th round of sanctions, our country's Yili 10-2 oil field project in the Bohai Sea successfully commenced production. This project is set to achieve an annual oil and gas production target of 400 million tons within a year, adequately addressing obstacles faced by our enterprises in Russia.
Looking ahead, Putin is scheduled to visit China to discuss strategies in response to the oil issue. Of course, the United States will not miss this opportunity to stir the pot. First, Treasury Secretary Bennett stated that the United States would dispatch representatives promptly to discuss our country's purchase of Russian and Iranian oil. Later, Trump expressed keen interest in visiting China in September, as our country hosts the Victory Day commemorative events.
Furthermore, Trump reiterated his 50-day ultimatum, informing Putin that if an agreement is not reached by the time both leaders meet in China, Russia will face sanctions jointly imposed by our country.
Trump's intentions are truly malicious, constantly seeking opportunities to sow discord between our country and Russia, thereby delaying Zelensky's conflict resolution efforts.
However, from all angles, Trump's desire to impose 100% tariffs on Russia and implement secondary sanctions against countries purchasing Russian oil may falter. On the 23rd, State Department spokesperson Bruce began internal discord, accusing the United States of failing to adhere to Trump's decree to sanction Russia.
Moreover, even if the United States can enforce Trump's secondary sanctions, our country remains entirely unafraid. Aside from rare earth resources, our country has also shown a firm stance in pharmaceuticals, crucial to Trump's seven-inch life. According to \"Foreign Affairs,\" all important drugs in the United States are sourced from China and India, with raw materials from our country.
Therefore, our country has the confidence to stand firm, as previous struggles have proven that U.S. sanctions against our country are tantamount to self-destruction.
Reference:
Pengpai News \"EU Sanctions Affect Chinese Enterprises and Chinese Banks, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Will Take Necessary Measures to Safeguard Rights\"
Pengpai News \"EU's New Round of Sanctions against Russia Involves Chinese Banks, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Normal Business Cooperation between China and Russia Should Not Be Disrupted\"
Xinhua News Agency \"Trump Denies Instigating Ukraine to Attack Moscow, Russia's Tough Response 'Ultimatum'\"
CCTV News \"Can't Rely on Americans Anymore\" Canada has decided to build a new cross-provincial oil pipeline\"
Xinhua News Agency \"Large-scale Airstrikes in Ukraine Russia Shot Down Multiple Drones\"
China News Network \"Armed with No Talk, Trump's Handling of Ukraine, Why Change So Fast?\"
