Trump says he’ll reduce 50-day truce deadline he gave Putin

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(Bloomberg) — US President Donald Trump said he would reduce the 50-day deadline he gave Russian leader Vladimir Putin to reach a truce with Ukraine.

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“I’m disappointed in President Putin, very disappointed in him. So we’re going to have to look and I’m going to reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number,” Trump told reporters in Scotland on Monday as he welcomed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a meeting.

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“I think I already know the answer, what’s going to happen,” Trump said, indicating further skepticism that Putin would come to the negotiating table and commit to a ceasefire.

Trump earlier this month issued the 50-day deadline and threatened to impose stiff economic penalties on Russia if it does not end hostilities with Ukraine. Trump has said he would impose 100% tariffs, which officials have cast as 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.

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Trump’s threat marked a major shift in tone for the US president, who returned to office vowing to quickly end Russia’s war in Ukraine, citing his relationship with Putin. Those efforts have failed to materialize with Moscow only responding with maximalist demands for Ukrainian territory and declining calls for face-to-face talks between Putin and his counterpart, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Since Trump’s renewed sanctions threat, Russia has continued to launch blistering missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. Trump, who initially focused his ire on Zelenskiy as an obstacle to peace, in recent weeks has signalled growing impatience, accusing Putin of not being sincere about wanting to end the war despite multiple calls and months of diplomacy.

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NATO allies are also moving to ramp up pressure on Putin, with Germany in advanced talks with the US and other allies to help deliver additional Patriot air-defence systems to Ukraine. Zelenskiy’s government has made air defence a top priority as weeks of Russian attacks take their toll on Ukrainian cities.

While May and June talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul led to prisoner exchanges, there has been no progress on ending the conflict sparked by a Russian invasion in February 2022.

Trump’s sanctions threats also echo legislation in Congress that would impose 500% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas such as China and India. The president has threatened economic pressure against Putin in the past but has held off, suggesting that he wanted to preserve negotiations.

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