US President Donald Trump said that he is shortening the timeline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a truce with Ukraine, warning that failure to do so could lead to economic consequences.
The move marks a significant escalation in pressure on Moscow to end the ongoing conflict. “I’m going to make a new deadline of about 10, 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump told reporters in Scotland on Monday during talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as reported by Bloomberg.
“I’ll announce it probably tonight or tomorrow,” Trump added. “But there’s no reason to wait. If you know what the answer is,” expressing frustration with Putin for rebuffing previous calls for a ceasefire.
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An end to the conflict has proven elusive for the American president, who as a candidate promised to quickly resolve the Russia-Ukraine war as well as the one between Israel and Hamas.
Trump has announced his ultimatum to Putin, initially setting a 50-day deadline on July 14 set to expire on September 2, to halt the war in Ukraine or face severe economic sanctions. With no progress made and Russian missile and drone attacks intensifying, Trump has now signalled a shorter timeline.
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The Kremlin has yet to respond publicly to the updated deadline. Following Trump’s announcement, the Russian ruble fell over 2%, dropping below 81 per US dollar—its weakest point since mid-May, Bloomberg reported.
Oil prices also climbed amid concerns that escalating U.S.-Russia tensions could disrupt global crude supplies.
“What I’m doing is we’re going to do secondary sanctions, unless we make a deal, and we might make a deal, I don’t know,” Trump added Monday.
Trump has intensified pressure on Putin, expressing growing frustration over stalled efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
“I’m not so interested in talking any more,” Trump said Monday. “He talks. We have such nice conversations, such respectful and nice conversations, and then people die the following night with a missile going into a town.”
Trump, who returned to office pledging a swift resolution to the conflict, has seen no progress, as Moscow continues to demand extensive territorial concessions and refuses direct negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Earlier this month, Trump said he would impose 100% tariffs on Russia if it did not halt the fighting. Officials have cast secondary levies that would fall on countries who buy Russian exports such as oil. Washington and other capitals allied with Kyiv view such oil purchases as a form of tacit support for Russia, helping to bolster its economy and undercut sanctions.
I’m going to make a new deadline of about 10, 10 or 12 days from today.
Trump, though, has threatened economic repercussions against Putin in the past but held off, suggesting that he wanted to preserve room for negotiations.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
I’m not so interested in talking any more.