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By Mikhail Zygar
Mr. Zygar is a Russian journalist and the author of the newsletter The Last Pioneer.
President Trump has not scared the Russian elite. Last week, he declared himself “disappointed” with Vladimir Putin and imposed a shorter deadline — expiring this Friday — for an end to the war in Ukraine, threatening severe economic punishment if it was missed. In Moscow, no one took it seriously. After weathering more than three years of sanctions, the Kremlin believes it can handle anything thrown at it — that’s if Mr. Trump even follows through, which many in Moscow doubt.
