Since the beginning of his new term, Donald Trump has been trying to revive peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, hoping to leverage his personal communication channels with Vladimir Putin. However, diplomatic efforts have stalled amid continued shelling and escalation. While Moscow signals readiness for negotiations, it is simultaneously ramping up strikes, including those targeting civilian infrastructure. Against this backdrop, Trump—who had previously claimed he could stop the war in 24 hours—has shifted tone and now signals readiness for new pressure tactics targeting both Russia and its trade partners. Following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on July 14, he announced an accelerated arms transfer plan for Ukraine and issued an ultimatum: if a peace agreement is not reached within 50 days, a new round of sanctions will follow.
President Trump said the U.S. would help Europe expedite arms deliveries to Ukraine and warned Russia that if a peace agreement is not reached within 50 days, a new round of tough sanctions will be imposed.
Speaking from the Oval Office after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump promised that weapons would be "rapidly delivered to the battlefield." He also threatened the introduction of secondary sanctions—measures targeting countries and companies that continue trading with already sanctioned states.
"I'm disappointed in President Putin because I believed a deal would be reached two months ago, but that doesn't seem to be happening," Trump said. "That's the reality," he added. "I hope it doesn't come to that."
When asked whether Vladimir Putin is deliberately prolonging the war, Trump avoided a direct answer but said he does not believe the Russian leader is manipulating him. Meanwhile, Russia—having launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022—continues to intensify strikes even as peace talks remain on the table.
"The conversations with him are quite peaceful, and then the missile strikes begin at night," Trump said, referring to Putin, whom he accused of repeatedly derailing ceasefire arrangements in the war now entering its third year.
"He’s fooled many," Trump noted, calling the Russian leader a "tough guy." "He fooled Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden—but not me," he added.
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The meeting with Mark Rutte also focused on the logistics of the plan initiated by the NATO Secretary General. Under the agreement, the United States sells Patriot air defense systems to alliance partners, who in turn transfer them to Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters after the Oval Office meeting, Trump said the deal with NATO partners had already been finalized and approved.
"We are sending them a lot of different kinds of weapons," he said. "And they will deliver those weapons directly to the battlefield, to various parts of the front—and they will pay for the shipments 100 percent."
Trump has repeatedly threatened tough measures against Russia in response to the escalation of the war in Ukraine, but so far none of those threats have materialized. Sanctions proposed in the Senate targeting Russia’s energy sector and its foreign clients would inflict far greater damage on Moscow than tariffs on the limited volume of goods exported to the United States.
Although Trump announced the introduction of secondary tariffs, White House officials later clarified that secondary sanctions are also under consideration. These would target third countries engaged in financial transactions with Russia.
Trump's statement came amid growing pressure from lawmakers pushing for tougher economic restrictions. European leaders, for their part, continue to present a united front on new sanctions. Since returning to the White House, Trump has sought to leverage his longstanding ties with Vladimir Putin to broker a ceasefire in a conflict he once vowed to end within 24 hours. So far, those efforts have failed to yield results.