United States President Donald Trump has imposed a fresh deadline of “10 or 12 days” for Russia to negotiate a peace agreement in its war with Ukraine or face the prospect of stringent new sanctions. This announcement highlights Trump’s growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the prolonged conflict. Speaking from Scotland, where he was meeting with European leaders and participating in golf events, Trump told reporters alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he was dissatisfied with the lack of progress and had decided to shorten the 50-day timeline he had previously set. “There’s no reason in waiting. … We just don’t see any progress being made,” Trump remarked.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Trump’s decisive stance, expressing gratitude for his focus on ending the war and saving lives. “Right on time, when a lot can change through strength for real peace. I thank President Trump for his focus on saving lives and stopping this horrible war,” Zelenskyy stated. The Kremlin has not yet responded to Trump’s new ultimatum, but former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev criticized the move, warning that repeated ultimatums from Trump could escalate into a direct conflict between Russia and the United States.
Zelenskyy also reiterated the importance of sanctions as a powerful tool to end the conflict, emphasizing that Russia is sensitive to economic pressures. Trump, who has often touted his peacemaking abilities and vowed to resolve the three-and-a-half-year war quickly if returned to office, threatened both direct sanctions on Russia and secondary penalties for those trading with the country should progress continue to stall. “If you know what the answer is going to be, why wait? And it would be sanctions and maybe tariffs, secondary tariffs,” Trump explained, while also noting his reluctance to harm the Russian people.
Despite his firm rhetoric, Trump’s administration has at times hesitated to fully act on his threats, referencing a previously positive relationship with Putin. Trump expressed disappointment that previous settlements have repeatedly fallen apart, citing continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, resulting in civilian casualties. He lamented, “We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever. And I say that’s not the way to do it.” Trump’s ultimatum underscores mounting US impatience and raises the stakes for a breakthrough in peace negotiations.
