TURNBERRY, United Kingdom: US President Donald Trump has warned that Russia has until 8 August to end its military actions in Ukraine or face new sanctions, setting a 10-day deadline from Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters while returning to Washington from Britain, Trump said he was reducing an earlier 50-day ultimatum to a “firm” 10-day timeline. “Ten days from today,” he told reporters when asked about the deadline.
Trump had already said on Monday that he was reducing a previous ultimatum of 50 days to between 10 and 12 days, but his latest comments indicated an apparently firm date at the end of next week.
Trump said that he had not heard from Putin about his threat. “I haven’t had any response. It’s a shame,” he said, underscoring frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the conflict.
And the Republican appeared to play down the effect of his planned actions.
“We’re going to put on tariffs and stuff,” he said, but “I don’t know if it’s going to effect Russia because obviously he wants to keep the war going.”
On Monday, Trump set a new deadline of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress towards ending the war in Ukraine or face consequences.
Trump has threatened both sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports unless progress is made.
“I’m going to make a new deadline of about … 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland on Monday.
“There’s no reason in waiting… We just don’t see any progress being made.”
Russia ‘taken note’ of Trump’s new deadline
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it had “taken note” of a statement by Trump that he was shortening his deadline for Moscow to sign up to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Asked about Trump’s statement on Tuesday during a conference call with reporters, the Kremlin kept its remarks short.
“We have taken note of President Trump’s statement yesterday. The special military operation continues,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, employing the term that Moscow uses for its war effort in Ukraine.
“We remain committed to a peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and to ensure our interests in the course of this settlement.”
Trump threatened on July 14 to impose new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports within 50 days, a deadline which would have expired in early September.
But on Monday, during a visit to Britain, he shortened that deadline and said: “There’s no reason in waiting… We just don’t see any progress being made.”
Trump, who has held half a dozen calls with the Kremlin leader since returning to the White House in January, also said he was “not so interested in talking any more.”
Trump has not always followed up on his tough talk about Putin with action, citing what he deems a good relationship that the two men have had previously.
On Monday, Trump indicated he was not interested in more talks with Putin. He said sanctions and tariffs would be used as penalties for Moscow if it did not meet Trump’s demands.
“There’s no reason to wait. If you know what the answer is going to be, why wait? And it would be sanctions and maybe tariffs, secondary tariffs,” Trump said.
“I don’t want to do that to Russia. I love the Russian people.”
Expressing disappointment in President Putin, Trump said, “I’m going to reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number because I think I already know the answer what’s going to happen.”
