Russia intensified its war of words with former U.S. President Donald Trump$TRUMP

on Wednesday, issuing a stark warning of$ World War III following a heated exchange on social media.

The dispute began after Trump$BNB

accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "playing with fire" by deploying 50,000 troops to Ukraine’s Sumy region — a move Ukrainian officials fear could signal a new offensive from the north.

In response, former Russian President and current senior security official Dmitry Medvedev lashed out, declaring that a third world war is the “only REALLY BAD thing” that could happen to Russia. He added, “I hope Trump understands this!”

Trump had posted his warning on Truth Social a day earlier, writing:

“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things $BTC

would have already happened in Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire.”

Medvedev replied in English on X (formerly Twitter), brushing off Trump’s warning and turning the threat back on him. The post quickly drew criticism from Keith Kellogg, a close Trump adviser, who called Medvedev’s statement reckless:

“Stoking fears of WW III is an unfortunate, reckless comment… and unfitting of a world power,” Kellogg said.

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Economic Strain Mounts as Wage Growth Slows in Russia

As the war in Ukraine continues, cracks are emerging in the economic strategy that has helped President Putin maintain public support. A recent review by the Financial Times reveals that wage growth in Russia is beginning to slow after a period of rapid increases.

Between September and December 2024, new job salaries rose by 4.2%. However, in the first quarter of 2025, that figure dropped to just 2.2%. Meanwhile, real income growth — which includes earnings from sources like rent and savings — fell to 7.1% in early 2025, down from 8.3% the previous year, according to Rosstat, Russia’s federal statistics agency.

“Russia’s economy is under strain, and the problems are piling up,” said economist Konstantin Nasonov, formerly of the Skolkovo business school. “Yet people still seem to have more money than before. Strange as it seems, these trends aren’t mutually exclusive.”

The FT used a method developed by job platform Indeed to analyze online job listings. Pawel Adrjan, an economist at Indeed, explained:

“Companies often respond to pressure by adjusting offers for new hires first. That makes new job ads a good indicator of where the labor market is headed.”

For years, Moscow’s oil and gas exports helped build up state reserves. Those funds were tapped to cushion the economy after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, through defense salaries, army pay, subsidized loans to war-related businesses, and generous mortgage programs.

This spending spree led to a rapid rise in incomes during 2023 and early 2024 — even as inflation surged by 30% over three years. Surveys from Levada and the Bank of Finland showed that many Russians considered 2023 their best financial year in over a decade.

However, more recent data paints a less optimistic picture. According to independent research group Chronicles, 40% of Russians say their finances haven’t changed, 20% report improvements, while 40% say things have worsened.

“The harder life becomes financially, the less likely someone is to back [the war],” said Chronicles co-founder Alexei Minyailo.