Donald Trump, United States president, has issued a fresh ultimatum to Russian president Vladimir Putin, demanding that Russia ends its war in Ukraine within the next 10 to 12 days — a sharp cut from the 50-day deadline he set earlier this month.
Speaking in Scotland on Monday after a bilateral meeting with British Prime minister Keir Starmer Trump expressed disappointment over the lack of progress in ending Russia’s three-and-a-half-year-old full-scale invasion, which he had vowed to halt within 24 hours of returning to the White House in January.
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“I’m going to make a new deadline of about … 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump said. “There’s no reason to wait. We just don’t see any progress being made.”
Zelenskyy welcomes US pressure
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian president, hailed Trump’s remarks as a welcome shift toward a firmer stance against Moscow.
“Right on time, when a lot can change through strength for real peace. I thank President Trump for his focus on saving lives and stopping this horrible war,” Zelenskyy said.
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Ukrainian officials, including presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak, have previously praised Trump for what they describe as a “clear message of peace through strength”, arguing that Putin only respects demonstrations of force.
Moscow dismisses ultimatum
The Kremlin reaction was swift, with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warning that Trump’s approach risked triggering a wider conflict.
“Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war — not between Russia and Ukraine, but with [Trump’s] own country,” Medvedev posted on X.
Russian MP Andrey Gurulyov dismissed the US president’s threat, claiming such ultimatums no longer had impact on the battlefield or in Moscow. “We have the force of our weapons, principles and will,” he said.
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The Kremlin has not officially responded to the revised 12-day deadline. Earlier this month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Trump’s 50-day ultimatum “very serious” but said Moscow needed time to analyse its implications. He has since ruled out a breakthrough in peace talks, which have remained stalled.
Trump threatens sanctions and tariffs
Trump has repeatedly signalled his impatience with Putin’s failure to de-escalate the war. In recent weeks, he has threatened to impose sweeping sanctions not only on Russia but also on countries that continue to trade with it. He said such “secondary tariffs” could reach 100 percent, effectively pricing Russian goods out of global markets.
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“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.”
Earlier this month, he proposed a 100 percent tax on countries continuing commerce with Moscow — a move analysts say could deeply strain US trade relations and global supply chains.
Golf, diplomacy and shifting tones
Trump’s remarks came during a trip to Scotland that combined diplomatic meetings with European leaders and rounds of golf, a backdrop that underscores the unconventional style he has brought to international affairs. He repeatedly voiced dissatisfaction with Putin’s actions, saying the Russian leader’s behaviour had contradicted private assurances.
“We were going to have a ceasefire and maybe peace… and all of a sudden you have missiles flying into Kyiv and other places,” Trump said. “That’s not the way to do it.”
He added that while he and Putin had maintained a good relationship in the past, the recent surge in Russian attacks, including strikes on nursing homes and residential areas, had undermined that trust.
“I say, forget it. I’m not gonna talk anymore. This has happened on too many occasions and I don’t like it,” he said, signalling a hardening tone. Russian state media swiftly broadcast Trump’s remark that he was “no longer interested in talks”.
Bleak prospects for peace
On the ground, Russia has intensified its summer offensive, launching drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and pushing into contested eastern territories. The last round of peace talks lasted barely an hour, with Kremlin officials admitting a “breakthrough” was unlikely.
