WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump said he’s moving up a deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, warning that it in “10 or 12 days” Russia must end the war or face sanctions and tariffs from the United States.
The president’s threat came as he continued to express frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for refusing to scale back his country’s war in Ukraine.
“I’m going to make a new deadline of about ten or twelve days from today,” Trump said on July 28 during a meeting in Scotland with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “There’s no reason in waiting.”
More: Putin stalls. Trump changes his mind. Ukraine targets Moscow. Latest on the war.
Trump said he will likely announce the new deadline by July 29.
“I want to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made,” he said. “It would be sanctions and maybe tariffs ‒ secondary tariffs.”
Trump on July 14 announced the United States would put secondary tariffs on countries that do business with Russia if a peace deal is not reached within 50 days, which falls on Sept. 2. Trump’s new, shortened deadline would be sometime between Aug. 7 and 11.
“He’s got to make a deal,” Trump said of Putin. “Too many people are dying it. It’s a really bloody war.”
More: Russia continues record-setting attacks on Ukraine after Trump call, US arms cutoff
When Trump’s second term began, the president placed equal blame on Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the war still raging three and a half years later.
But Trump has zeroed in on Putin in recent weeks as the Russian leader repeatedly rebuffs the American president’s attempts to broker a ceasefire and pushes forward with drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Losing patience with Putin, Trump has accused his Russian counterpart of being open to a ceasefire during private conversations, only to carry out attacks on Ukraine afterward.
“You would think, based on common sense, you would think he would want to make a deal. We’ll find out,” Trump said.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Trump gives Russia less than two weeks to end war in Ukraine
