Kremlin-linked political scientist Sergey Karaganov has warned that Russia can no longer rely on deals with any politician named Trump and urged his country to adopt a far tougher posture toward the West. In a clip shared by the non-profit Russian Media Monitor from the TV programme The Right To Know, Karaganov who heads the Moscow-based Council for Foreign and Defense Policy and has previously advised the Kremlin argued that recent developments show the United States cannot be trusted.
Speaking after the cancelled Budapest meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and in the wake of fresh US sanctions on Russian oil firms, Karaganov said Moscow must stop hoping for a negotiated settlement tailored to its interests. “Now we have a clear understanding that we can’t make any deals with any Trumps in a way that would suit Russia,” he said. “Therefore we should act in accordance with our own scenario, with or without Trump.”
Karaganov urged a radical shift in tactics: rather than seeking accommodation, Russia should aim to “instill horror and the fear of God” in Europe and demonstrate to American elites that continued support for conflict with Russia will have severe consequences. He argued Moscow should make it plain that Russian patience is dwindling and that if Western governments persist in backing a war against Russia, Moscow will respond decisively first targeting allies, then their bases and other assets.
The analyst went further, suggesting preemptive measures against European neighbours using non-nuclear means if tensions persist, and warning that any retaliation could force Russia to resort to nuclear weapons. He framed such a stance as grim but necessary to prevent what he described as a spreading European war.
Karaganov is a familiar voice for hard-line Kremlin positions and has publicly opposed negotiations over the war. In a March interview with the BBC he dismissed peace talks and described the most favourable outcome as “Ukraine’s total capitulation.”
Observers note that Karaganov’s rhetoric reflects the views of an influential cohort within Russia’s strategic community that prioritises forceful deterrence and dramatic signals over diplomacy. Whether his prescriptions will shape official policy is unclear, but his comments underscore a deepening hawkish strain in Russian commentary one that calls for aggressive measures to blunt Western opposition and to compel reconsideration of the costs Moscow might impose on its rivals.
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