(The Hill) – President Trump informed reporters of his intention to reduce the timeline for Russia to consent to a ceasefire in Ukraine, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing assaults on Ukrainian cities as the reason.
Trump had said on July 14 that Russia would face additional sanctions and tariffs if it did not stop fighting in Ukraine within 50 days, putting the deadline at Sept. 2. But on Monday, the president indicated he would push up that timeframe.
“We thought we had that settled numerous times and then President Putin goes out an starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever,” Trump said standing alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “You have bodies lying all over the street. And I say that’s not the way to do it. So we’ll see what happens with that. I’m very disappointed. I’m disappointed in President Putin.
“I’m going to reduce that 50 days I gave him to a lesser number because I think I already know the answer what’s going to happen,” Trump added, without providing more detail on a new timeline for the U.S. initiating sanctions targeting Moscow.
The president earlier this month said the U.S. would impose “severe” tariffs on Russia if Moscow did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine in the next 50 days. Trump indicated he would impose a 100 percent “secondary” tariff, which would target other nations that do business with Russia in a bid to further hurt the Russian economy.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 after amassing troops at the border. Trump campaigned on a pledge to end the war within 24 hours, a timeframe he later claimed was “sarcastic.”
While Trump has at times complained about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s approach to the conflict, he has in recent weeks expressed increasing frustration with Putin as Moscow continues to fire missiles into Ukraine despite the White House’s push for a ceasefire.
Trump earlier this month also announced NATO alliance members would finance the purchase of additional U.S. weapons to be sent to Ukraine.
