Why did Trump Resort to Escalation with Russia?
(Translated)

Al-Rayah Newspaper - Issue 560 - 13/08/2025 CE

By: Ustadh Saif El-Din Abdo

US President Trump set a new 10-day deadline on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine or face new sanctions, as he told reporters aboard Air Force One during his return flight from Scotland to the United States, in response to a question about this deadline, 10 days from today (Al Jazeera Net, July 29, 2025). This confirms US frustration with Russian President Putin over the conflict, which has been ongoing for three and a half years.

Trump threatened to impose sanctions on Russia and its export buyers unless progress is made. During his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump said, “We’re very, very unhappy – I am – with [Russia], and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in about 50 days” (Russia Today, July 14, 2025). The bill includes secondary sanctions targeting Russia’s trading partners, in addition to high tariffs of 500% on imports from countries that continue to buy oil, gas, uranium, and other goods from Russia (Russia Today, July 14, 2025). Speaking in Scotland, where he is holding meetings with European leaders, Trump said he is disappointed with Putin, specifically saying, “I’m going to make a new deadline of about ... 10 or 12 days from today... There’s no reason in waiting... We just don't see any progress being made” (Al-Ayyam, July 29, 2025).

The question is: Do these threats have political objectives, or are they for domestic consumption?

The answer: Trump has launched a trade war against the world, and this visit is part of the trade war against Europe. We have seen how he blackmailed Europe into submitting to him and signing a tariff agreement with him. This threat came within this context, and in Britain, the igniter of wars in the world. He wants the following from this:

Firstly: Increase blackmailing Europe, and reminding it of the Russian bear and nuclear war, until it submits to Trump’s demands.

Secondly: Encircling Russia and pressuring it to comply with Trump’s demands to end the war in Ukraine. One of the most important tools of this pressure is negotiations with China regarding tariffs. Trump is facing Chinese intransigence in the negotiations, and he does not expect them to achieve their goals and cause severe damage to the Russian economy. As US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who headed the US delegation, stated, “China, the largest importer of Russian oil, will continue to buy it despite Washington's demands.”

Thirdly: Trump’s response to the former Russian president after he gave Russia a short deadline to end the war. Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council Medvedev said, “Trump must remember how dangerous the legendary dead hand is.” Trump feigned extreme anger at this statement in the White House, and immediately afterward, he responded on his platform that this president is a failure and that he is playing in dangerous territory. Trump decided to deploy two nuclear submarines near Russia. Is Trump’s anger real or is it a tactic to achieve political goals? The US administration seized on this statement and considered it a real statement and a nuclear threat. The prevailing opinion is that Trump exploited the statement to threaten the world — China, Russia, and Europe — to subject them to tariffs and further weaken Russia, so as to proceed with ending the war as Trump wants. Will this achieve his goal? It is unlikely that Russia or China will submit. Instead, they are forming a strong alliance. In the past three years, four strategic agreements have been signed in all areas between Russia, China, and North Korea. This is what worries the US administration, as it seeks to control the world, sometimes through threats and sometimes through diplomacy. There is no better evidence of this than Putin’s statement, and his Foreign Minister Lavrov’s statement, to tone down the rhetoric, and send reassuring messages to Trump, knowing that the threats from both sides are not serious.

Fourthly: Trump’s other goal is domestic, as he wants to divert attention from his country’s domestic crises, which are being created by his opponents from the other party, the democrats, and the deep state. They are desperate to create problems for him and his administration all the time. The problems of immigrants, the problems of California, and the latest of which is highlighting the scandal of the deceased Epstein, and linking Trump to it. Trump wanted to divert attention abroad, so he exploited this statement, deployed the two nuclear submarines, and followed it with fiery statements attacking Medvedev. He wants to raise his low popularity, and divert attention from his fabricated scandals.

Fifthly: Here is the conflict raging between China and America commercially and politically, and its tools are Russia, Europe and India. Trump came to power in America only to blackmail and dominate the world and raise slogans that are all slogans of control, superiority and arrogance, such as “America First,” “Peace by force,” and “Make America Great Again.” Will Trump be able to achieve the goals of the new capitalist class? We pray to Allah (swt) that Trump will not be able to because it is among the laws of Allah (swt) that nations compete, and after this competition comes the victory of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) said,

[وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ]

“Had Allah not repelled the aggression of some people by means of others, destruction would have surely claimed monasteries, churches, synagogues, and masajid in which Allah’s Name is often mentioned. Allah will certainly help those who stand up for Him. Allah is truly All-Powerful, Almighty” [TMQ Surah al-Hajj: 40].

Also, a few years before al-ba’tha (the Prophetic mission), the Romans and Persians fought, sometimes for the former and sometimes for the latter, to the point that Abu Bakr challenged them, with the Prophet’s approval, over the Romans winning. Allah (swt) revealed,

[الم * غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ * فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ * فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِن بَعْدُ ۚ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنصُرُ مَن يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ]

“Alif-Lãm-Mĩm. (1) The Romans have been defeated (2) in a nearby land. Yet following their defeat, they will triumph (3) within three to nine years. The whole matter rests with Allah before and after victory. And on that day the believers will rejoice (4) at the victory willed by Allah. He gives victory to whoever He wills. For He is the Almighty, Most Merciful” [TMQ Surah ar-Rum: 1-5]. These countries have no choice but to compete, and the victory of Allah (swt) will come while they are in this state, and it will be, Allah (swt) willing, a glorious and glorified victory. Finally, we call upon the Islamic Ummah and those who carry the Dawah, to continue the path of ascending to the heights of glory by establishing the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly-Guided Caliphate) and carrying Islam as a message of guidance, light, and mercy to the world.