That included a Monday joint statement from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal calling Trump’s threat of ramped-up economic penalties if Russia doesn’t cut a peace deal in next 50 days “a real executive hammer to drive the parties to the negotiating table.”

Russia’s ex-president dismissed Trump’s 100 per cent tariff threat as a “theatrical ultimatum”, while the Kremlin said it was “very serious”, needing Putin’s analysis.