U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed deep disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced plans to shorten the 50-day ultimatum he had set for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
“We could have made an agreement five times already,” Trump said during a press briefing. “I’ve talked a lot with President Putin, and the talks went very well each time. But then he goes out, launches missiles into a city like Kyiv, and kills people in a nursing home. Bodies lying in the streets — that’s not how to do it. So I’m very disappointed. We’re going to review the situation, and I’m going to reduce the 50 days I gave him to a lesser number, because I think I already know how this is going to end.”
Earlier, Trump had stated that if no settlement is reached within 50 days, the U.S. would impose 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions on Russia. White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt confirmed that countries purchasing oil from Russia would also face sanctions, a move aimed at inflicting significant economic damage on Moscow.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant added that if America moves forward with secondary tariffs, European allies should follow suit. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright also noted that sanctions targeting Russian oil remain a real and viable tool for pressuring the Kremlin over its continued military action in Ukraine.
More recently, Trump hinted that these punitive measures could come even earlier than expected.
When asked if he was close to imposing secondary sanctions, Trump said, “We’re looking at this whole situation. We may have to impose secondary sanctions on them.” Asked whether he might take action sooner than the original 50-day timeline, he replied: “Maybe, yes.”
