Trump gives Russia 50 days to resolve Ukraine war
US President Donald Trump on Monday told Russia to resolve its Ukraine war within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions as he laid out plans for new infusions of weaponry for Kyiv.
'We're very, very unhappy' with Russia, Trump told reporters as he met with NATO chief Mark Rutte in the White House.
'We're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%,' said Trump, adding that they would be 'secondary tariffs' that target Russia's remaining trade partners - thereby seeking to cripple Moscow's ability to survive already sweeping Western sanctions.
Trump and Rutte also unveiled a deal under which the NATO military alliance would buy arms from the United States - including Patriot anti-missile batteries - and then distribute them to Ukraine to help it battle Russia's invasion.
'This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment that is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO... and that's going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield,' Trump said.
READ | Russia hits Ukraine with 'most massive enemy attack' of 728 drones as Trump patience wears thin
Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, said Ukraine would get 'massive numbers' of weapons under the deal.
Trump launched a bid at rapprochement with Putin shortly after starting his second term in January, as he sought to honour his election campaign promise to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours.
His pivot towards Putin sparked fears in Kyiv that he was about to sell out Ukraine, especially after Trump and his team berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office in February.
'Assassin'
But Trump has shown growing anger and frustration with Putin in recent weeks as the Russian leader, instead of halting his three-year invasion, instead stepped up attacks.
Trump added of Putin on Monday:
I don't want to say he's an assassin, but he's a tough guy.
Last week, Trump teased an announcement on Monday about Russia. He then announced on Sunday that he would send vital Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine to help it fend off escalating barrages of Russian attacks.
Washington has also U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv.
Rutte's visit to the White House is the first since the former Dutch prime minister described Trump as 'daddy' at a NATO summit in The Hague in June.
READ | Trump does U-turn, now promises to send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine
Moscow has unleashed record waves of drone and missile strikes over the past few weeks, with the number of Ukrainian civilians killed or wounded in June hitting a three-year high, according to UN figures.
Trump's announcement on Monday came as his special envoy, Keith Kellogg, arrived in Kyiv to meet Zelensky.
Zelensky hailed the 'productive meeting', saying they had discussed 'strengthening Ukraine's air defence, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe.'
The Ukrainian leader also said he was 'grateful to President Trump for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries.'
'Better late than never'
One Ukrainian soldier deployed in the war-scarred east of the country, who identified himself by his call sign Grizzly, welcomed Trump's promise of fresh air defence systems.
'Better late than never,' he told AFP.
The 29-year-old added:
Because while we are here defending the front line, our families are unprotected. Thanks to the Patriots they are giving us, our families will be safer.
Russian forces, meanwhile, said on Monday they had captured new territory in eastern Ukraine with the seizure of two villages, one in the Donetsk region and another in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Its forces also killed at least three civilians in the eastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions on Monday, regional Ukrainian officials announced.
In Kyiv, Zelensky also proposed a major political shake-up, recommending economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko take over as the country's new prime minister.
Svyrydenko said on social media that Ukraine was facing a 'crucial time.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
30 minutes ago
- Washington Post
UN council authorizes continuing vigilance of attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Red Sea shipping
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday authorized continued reporting on attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi rebels , who have defied its previous demands to immediately halt all such attacks. The vote in the 15-member council was 12-0 with Russia, China and Algeria abstaining because of attacks against Yemen in violation of its sovereignty, a clear reference to U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis who control most of northern Yemen. The Trump administration has carried out the strikes because of the group's attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on close ally Israel.
Bloomberg
35 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
President Trump Touts US, Indonesia Trade Deal
President Donald Trump says he reached a deal with Indonesia that will tariff its goods at 19%. Trump also says that Indonesia agreed to erase all duties on US imports and the Southeast Asian nation will buy more than $19 billion of American products. Bloomberg's Claire Jiao reports from Jakarta on the latest. (Source: Bloomberg)
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Report: Trump asked Ukraine ‘Volodymr, can you hit Moscow?'
Vertical Top News 12 videos Trump says interest in Epstein files is 'pretty boring stuff' President Donald Trump said he doesn't understand his supporters' continued interest in the Epstein files, calling it "boring," while also reiterating his call for anything 'credible' to be released. 00:56 - Source: CNN US Citizen who spied on Ukraine awarded Russian passport Daniel Martindale, an American citizen, spied on the Ukrainian military for Moscow for two years in the region of Donetsk before the Kremlin awarded him a Russian passport on Tuesday, according to state media TASS. 00:41 - Source: CNN Supreme Court ruling will allow mass firings of Education Department employees The Supreme Court on Monday said President Donald Trump may proceed with his plan to carry out mass layoffs at the Department of Education in the latest win for the White House at the conservative high court. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty reports. 01:34 - Source: CNN Unreleased Beyoncé music stolen from choreographer's rental car in Atlanta Two laptops and hard drives containing watermarked and unreleased music by Beyoncé were stolen from her choreographer's rental car in Atlanta, according to police. 00:55 - Source: CNN Trump announces novel plan to send weapons to Ukraine In an Oval Office meeting, President Trump announced that the US will sell weapons to European nations who will then send them to Ukraine. The president also threatened new trade consequences if no peace deal is reached with Ukraine within 50 days. 00:26 - Source: CNN Deadly fire at Massachusetts assisted living facility Nine people died Sunday night after an assisted living facility caught fire in Fall River, Massachusetts, officials said, with elderly people begging for help from first responders as smoke poured out of the building. 00:37 - Source: CNN ICE vehicle runs through protesters CNN affiliate KGO reports that an ICE vehicle ran through protesters attempting to stop an alleged deportation outside the San Francisco Federal Immigration Court. 00:59 - Source: CNN How the first 48 hours of the Texas floods unfolded The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes on the morning of July 4th, leading to devastation and more than 100 deaths across Central Texas. CNN recounts what happened in the first 48 hours of the flood. 05:02 - Source: CNN Federal agents face off with protesters at California farm The Ventura County Fire Department said they responded to calls of people having breathing problems at a farm in Ventura County, California, after federal agents appeared to deploy tear gas canisters into the crowd. A DHS spokesperson told CNN that they were "executing criminal warrants at a marijuana facility." It is unclear if any arrests were made. 01:24 - Source: CNN Birkin bag smashes auction records at $10 million Scuffed, scratched and stained, this black leather Hermès Birkin bag just sold for €8.6 million ($10 million), with fees, becoming the most expensive handbag to ever sell at auction. After a dramatic bidding war, the hammer fell at a winning bid of €7 million ($8.2 million). Known as 'The Original Birkin,' the rarefied handbag is the first version of this timeless luxury staple, inspired by its owner — '60s 'It-girl' Jane Birkin. 01:52 - Source: CNN Moo Deng turns one The Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand celebrated the first birthday of Moo Deng – a pygmy hippo who rose to fame last year after heartwarming and mischievous videos of her went viral. CNN spoke to Moo Deng fans who flew from around the world to celebrate her special day. 01:13 - Source: CNN
