US President Donald Trump announced his decision to reduce the 50-day deadline he had previously given Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This change comes as Russia continues its assaults on Ukrainian cities.
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched an intense overnight attack involving over 300 drones, along with four cruise missiles and three ballistic missiles.
Two weeks earlier, Trump had warned of imposing “severe tariffs” on Russia if a peace agreement wasn’t reached by early September. Expressing frustration over continued violence, he now says Putin has only 10 to 12 days—meaning progress must be visible by around August 7 to 9. The updated plan could include fresh sanctions and secondary tariffs on nations trading with Russia. Trump indicated a formal announcement would follow on Monday or Tuesday.
“There’s no point in waiting,” Trump said, referring to the revised timeline. “We’re just not seeing any movement toward peace.”
During a visit to Scotland, Trump stressed that Putin must act to end the conflict, citing the high number of casualties. Russia has not responded publicly to the announcement.
Trump again criticized Putin for publicly discussing peace while continuing attacks on civilians. “That’s not how it should be done,” he said, adding that he was “disappointed in President Putin.”
At a press conference, when asked about possibly meeting with Putin, Trump replied, “I’m not that interested in talking anymore.” However, he showed hesitance about enforcing penalties, saying he holds affection for the Russian people. “I don’t want to do that to Russia,” he noted, but emphasized the significant loss of life on both sides.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has urged Western allies to take a firmer stance against Moscow. Andrii Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, thanked Trump for advancing the deadline.
“Putin only responds to strength—and that message was loud and clear,” Yermak said via Telegram, noting that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed with the approach.
