Putin’s inflexibility forcing Trump’s hand on Ukraine sanctions, Atlantic Council analyst tells Kyiv Post.
From: Kyiv Post by Alex Raufoglu
WASHINGTON DC – US President Donald Trump, increasingly frustrated with the stalled peace efforts in Ukraine, has signaled a significant shift in his approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Washington officials and expert analysis.
What began as a 50-day ultimatum for an end to the conflict has now been drastically shortened, reflecting a growing impatience from the White House.
On Monday, speaking from his luxury golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, after meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump announced a new, more aggressive timeline for Putin to halt the war in Ukraine.
“I’m disappointed in President Putin,” Trump told reporters. “I’m going to make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today. There’s no reason in waiting, we just don’t see any progress being made.”
This latest pronouncement comes just two weeks after Trump initially set a 50-day deadline earlier this month, threatening new sanctions on Russia and its export buyers if a peace deal wasn’t reached.
His rationale then, as now, was a perceived lack of commitment from Putin to serious negotiations.
“I want to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made,” Trump had said ahead of his meeting with Starmer. “I’m disappointed in President Putin, very disappointed at him… and I’m gonna reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number, because I think I already know the answer.”The urgency from the White House appears to be mounting, and experts are taking note.
Voice of Ukraine 