By Dayo Ade Olusola |M10news| July 28, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a new and urgent ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin, demanding that Moscow move toward ending its war in Ukraine within a drastically shortened timeline — or face punishing economic consequences.
In a statement made to reporters on Saturday, Trump announced plans to reduce his original 50-day deadline for peace negotiations down to a mere 10 to 12 days.
“I’m going to make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today,” he said, standing outside his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland. “There’s no reason to wait. We just don’t see any progress being made.”
Trump added that he would formally announce the updated deadline “probably tonight or tomorrow,” reinforcing his intention to apply maximum pressure on Russia to bring the war to a halt.
The accelerated timeline follows Trump’s earlier pledge to impose “severe tariffs” — estimated at around 100% — on Russian imports if no deal is reached to end the war. That warning was first issued earlier this month during a campaign event where Trump sharply criticized Moscow’s continued aggression and the Biden administration’s lack of diplomatic leverage.
The former president’s latest comments reflect deepening frustration with the lack of movement in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, now over three years into a devastating conflict that has reshaped global politics, security, and economics.
Just days earlier, Trump described himself as “very disappointed” with Putin’s posture, accusing the Kremlin of stonewalling progress and ignoring mounting international pressure to end the violence.
While Trump did not specify whether he had direct communications with Putin in recent days, he indicated that he remains convinced economic leverage — not diplomacy alone — is the key to forcing a resolution. “There’s been enough talk,” he said. “Now there has to be consequences.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
Western powers, led by the United States, have supplied Ukraine with billions of dollars in military aid while imposing waves of sanctions on Russia. Yet a decisive breakthrough remains elusive.
Trump’s proposal to use punitive tariffs as a bargaining tool marks a dramatic departure from the Biden administration’s approach, which has focused on coalition-based support, sanctions, and backchannel negotiations without fixed deadlines.
In a campaign season marked by foreign policy tensions, Trump has repeatedly insisted he could end the war in Ukraine within days of taking office, should he win the 2024 election.
Critics have derided the claim as unrealistic, but Trump’s supporters see it as a sign of decisive leadership.
“What we have right now is a slow-moving disaster,” Trump said, referring to the Biden administration’s handling of the war. “We’re wasting resources, and nothing is changing. That ends when I’m back in office.”
Pressed for details on what enforcement might look like, Trump did not elaborate but emphasized that Russia’s economy would face a “massive penalty” if it failed to comply. “They’ve never had tariffs like the ones I’m going to impose,” he warned.
International reaction to Trump’s proposal remains mixed. Some European allies are reportedly wary of unilateral U.S. measures that could further destabilize global markets or complicate diplomatic efforts. Others argue that Trump’s hardline stance could finally spur meaningful talks.
Kremlin officials have not responded to Trump’s latest remarks.
Moscow previously dismissed the 50-day deadline as election rhetoric, suggesting that Trump’s comments were aimed at energizing his base rather than altering Russia’s strategic calculations.
Nevertheless, Trump’s remarks are expected to reverberate through Washington and global capitals as diplomatic channels scramble to assess whether the former president’s proposed timeline could influence Russia’s behavior or Ukraine’s strategy.
For now, Trump is doubling down on his belief that pressure — not patience — will bring the war to an end. “Ten days. Maybe 12,” he said again. “That’s all the time they should need.”
