‘I’m disappointed in Putin’: Trump gives ’10-12 days’ deadline to Russia for Ukraine deal

“I’m disappointed in President Putin,” Trump said while speaking alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland, according to Reuters. “I’m going to reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number.”

He later clarified that the new window would be between 10 and 12 days for Moscow to show progress in ceasefire efforts.

Two weeks ago, Trump threatened “very severe tariffs” on Russia’s trading partners “if we don’t have a deal in 50 days”

The BBC reported that Trump was responding to a question from a journalist about the Ukraine conflict. He said he had been close to reaching a ceasefire agreement with Putin five times.

“I’ve spoken to President Putin a lot. I’ve gotten along with him very well,” Trump said, according to the BBC. “But then he goes out and starts launching rockets into some city, like Kyiv, and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever you have bodies lying all over the street.”

Trump added, “I may reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number, because I think I already know the answer what’s going to happen.”

Following Trump’s remarks, Russia’s MOEX stock index dropped by as much as 1.2% during the day, according to Reuters. The index was down 0.8% from yesterday’s close as of 1219 GMT, MOEX data showed.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry responded by rejecting Trump’s approach. “The language of ultimatums, blackmail, and threats is unacceptable to Moscow,” it said. The ministry also called the threat of new sanctions “mundane.

(With inputs from Reuters and BBC)