Russia rages Trump sanctions are an 'act of war' as WW3 fears soar

The Kremlin today accused Donald Trump of an "act of war" against Russia. Close Putin aide Dmitry Medvedev - formerly Russian president - raised the spectre of World War Three.

He condemned Trump for cancelling the summit with Vladimir Putin in Budapest and imposing tough new sanctions against Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil.

Medvedev claimed Moscow suspected alternative weapons to long range Tomahawk missiles - which Trump refused to supply to Ukraine - may now be on the way to Kyiv.

"If any of the numerous commentators still had illusions - here you go," he posted on Telegram.

"The USA is our enemy, and their talkative 'peacemaker' has now fully taken up the path of war with Russia.

"Yes, he does not always actively fight on the side of....Kyiv yet, but this is now his conflict, not the senile Biden's!

"Of course, they will say that he could not do otherwise, that he was pressured in Congress, etc.

"This does not change the main thing: the decisions made are an act of war against Russia.

"And now Trump has fully aligned himself with the insane Europe."

Trump had said of the Budapest meeting: "I don't want to have a wasted meeting, I don't want to have a wasted time."

He added: "It didn't feel right to me.

"It didn't feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get, so I cancelled it. But we'll do it in the future."

There was a "clear plus in the latest swing of the Trump pendulum", said Medvedev, Putin's deputy on the powerful Russian security council.

It was now possible for Russia to ruthlessly strike "with various weapons at all [Ukrainian] hideouts without looking back at unnecessary negotiations.

"And to achieve victory exactly where it is only possible.

"On the ground, not behind a desk. Destroying enemies, not making meaningless 'deals'."

Shares of Rosneft and Lukoil plummeted amid the introduction of American sanctions.

Trump said of the "tremendous sanctions" that "these are very big ones that are against their two big oil companies, and we hope that they won't be on for long.

"We hope that the war will be settled."