Trump shortens Ukraine ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum for Putin
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Putin at an event in St. Petersburg on Sunday. Photo: Contributor/Getty Images
President Trump said Monday that he'll soon announce a much shorter deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face heavy sanctions.
- There are still 36 days until Trump's previous deadline, set two weeks ago, but he said he'd shorten that to "about 10 to 12 days."
Why it matters: Trump seems ready to take steps against Russia that he'd resisted for six months — potentially dealing a heavy penalty to buyers of Russian oil, notably China and India, in the process.
Breaking it down: Trump did not offer a detailed plan for the sanctions he'd impose, but said it would involve "secondary sanctions and tariffs."
- He'd previously threatened 100% secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil.
- That plan would have big implications for global oil markets and for China and India, both of which are also currently holding trade talks with the U.S.
- The idea would be to pressure countries to stop buying Russian oil in order to cut off revenue streams that flow to the war effort.
What he's saying: "I am going to make a new deadline of about 10-12 days from today. There is no reason for waiting. We just don't see any progress being made," Trump said during his meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland.
- Trump said he'd announce the new deadline for Putin "tonight or tomorrow."
- The president said it is "very late" for negotiations with Russia and stressed he's disappointed in Putin. "I am not interested in talking anymore. He talks with such nice conversations, such respectful and nice conversations and then people die the following night," Trump said.
The other side: Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called Trump's "game of ultimatums" a "step towards war," per Russian state media.
- Now deputy chair of Russia's security council, Medvedev has become one of Moscow's most hawkish voices since the invasion.
