U.S. President Donald Trump has given Russian President Vladimir Putin a 50-day deadline to agree to a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, warning that severe new tariffs will be imposed if the conflict continues.
Trump made the announcement on Monday during a press conference at the White House, standing alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. He criticized the war as “a Biden war” and said it should have ended long ago.
“This is a chance for peace,” Trump said. “I thought we had a deal four times, but here we are still talking.”
He warned that if Russia fails to reach a resolution within 50 days, his administration will introduce harsh trade penalties, including what he called “secondary tariffs” that could go up to 100%.
At the same event, Trump revealed a major change in U.S. policy. He announced a new weapons deal that will boost Ukraine’s defense capabilities through NATO partners. Instead of sending weapons directly to Ukraine, the U.S. will provide advanced military equipment to NATO allies, who will then transfer the arms to Ukraine. Trump emphasized that the deal would not be paid for by American taxpayers.
“We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them,” he said. “This is billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment going from the United States to NATO, and it will be quickly distributed to the battlefield.”
One key part of the deal includes Patriot missile batteries, which Trump said would arrive “within days.” These advanced air defense systems are being funded by European allies, including Germany, whose defense minister is currently in Washington for talks.
Although Trump has previously been critical of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and was reluctant to increase aid, his latest actions suggest a shift in strategy. His special envoy, retired General Keith Kellogg, recently met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, signaling a renewed U.S. interest in engaging directly with Ukraine.
However, the Kremlin appears to be dismissive of the ultimatum. Pro-Kremlin commentator Sergey Markov accused Trump of breaking his promises of peace and warned that Russia could cut ties with him altogether
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