Tensions are rising fast between the U.S. and Russia after a heated online fight between Donald Trump and Russian official Dmitry Medvedev.

It all began when Trump posted on Truth Social, warning Russian President Vladimir Putin that he’s “playing with fire” by sending 50,000 troops to Ukraine’s Sumy region. Ukraine says this could mean a new attack from the north.

Trump said:

“If it weren’t for me, really bad things would have already happened in Russia.”

🧨 Then Medvedev replied on X (Twitter) with a strong warning:

“World War III is the ONLY really bad thing that could happen to Russia. I hope Trump understands this!”

This message shocked many. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s advisor, responded quickly:

“Talking about World War III like this is dangerous and not what a world leader should say.”

💰 Russia’s Economy Starts Slowing Down

While the war continues, Russia’s economy is showing signs of stress. A new report from the Financial Times says wages are not rising as fast as before.

From September to December 2024, new job wages grew by 4.2%. But in the first months of 2025, that slowed to 2.2%.

📉 Real income—which includes savings and other money—also fell to 7.1% from 8.3% last year.

Expert Konstantin Nasonov said:

“The economy is under pressure. People still have money, but problems are growing.”

🛢️ War Spending Can’t Keep It Up

Since the full war began, Russia used money from oil and gas to:

Pay higher army wages

Support war-related businesses

Offer cheap home loans

This made many Russians feel richer in 2023—even though prices rose by 30% over three years. Some surveys said 2023 was the best financial year in 10+ years for many people.

But now, the mood is changing. A recent Chronicles survey found:

40% of Russians say things are the same

20% feel better off

But 40% say things are worse

Researcher Alexei Minyailo said:

“When life gets harder, fewer people want to support the war.”

🌍 Bottom Line:

As Russia moves more troops toward Ukraine, the risk of bigger conflict is rising. Trump and Medvedev’s online fight made it even more tense. But back home in Russia, many people are starting to feel the pain. And if the economy keeps getting worse, public support for the war may fall fast.