Segun Atanda/
Donald Trump has given Russia a new deadline of 10 to 12 days to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, warning that failure to do so will lead to tougher U.S. sanctions.
Speaking yesterday at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the U.S. president said he was cutting short the original 50-day deadline he had set for Vladimir Putin.
“I’m reducing that 50-day period to about 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump said. “There’s no reason to wait. I want to be generous, but we’re not seeing any progress.”
Trump expressed frustration with Putin, saying he no longer believes the Russian leader will act in good faith. “He talks. We have such nice conversations… and then people die the next night in a missile strike,” Trump said. “Every time I think it’s going to end, he kills people.”
The U.S. president had earlier threatened “severe” tariffs and secondary sanctions against countries buying Russian oil if Moscow refused to halt the war. Yesterday, he signalled that those measures could now come sooner than expected.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed Trump’s firmer stance. “His clear position comes at the right time—when strength can create real peace,” he said on yesterday. “Ukraine remains committed to peace and will work with the U.S. to ensure safety and prosperity.”
The Kremlin has yet to respond officially to Trump’s ultimatum. However, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s openness to talks, saying Putin “has repeatedly expressed readiness for dialogue.”
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, mentioned that a meeting between Trump and Putin could happen during the Russian leader’s visit to China in September, though no plans are in place yet.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have intensified their attacks across the eastern Ukrainian frontline, with drone strikes and ground advances reaching their highest level in over a year.
Washington has warned that if Moscow refuses a ceasefire, it will impose heavy tariffs and enforce secondary sanctions, penalising not just Russia, but also countries and entities that do business with it.
“These sanctions would severely damage Russia’s economy,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
As the war drags on, Trump said, “Based on common sense, you would think Putin would want to make a deal.”
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