SCOTLAND — President Donald Trump announced during a joint appearance with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he is drastically cutting short the previously stated 50-day timeline for peace negotiations aimed at ending the Russo-Ukrainian war — signaling a major shift in his approach to resolving Europe’s deadliest conflict in 80 years.
Trump expressed frustration over continued Russian aggression amid the bloody quagmire, including a Sunday night drone strike on a residential high-rise in Kyiv, saying, “We thought we had that settled numerous times.”
He further criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for blatantly disregarding his proposed 50-day window for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire:
“And then President Putin 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. And I say, that’s not the way to do it. So we’ll see what happens with that. I’m very disappointed. I’m disappointed in President Putin. Very disappointed in him.”
The new deadline for Russia to reach a truce with Ukraine now falls between 10 and 12 days from today — landing on August 6 or 8.
WATCH:
The remarks came just moments before a Monday morning meeting with Starmer at Turnberry, where other foreign policy priorities — including a potential U.S.-U.K. trade deal and a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza — topped the agenda.
The U.S. president reaffirmed Washington’s support for Israel and condemned Hamas for diverting aid intended for civilians in Gaza.
The Scottish Sun continues:
The Moscow stock market quickly dropped 1.2 per cent at the prospect of massive US sanctions on the economy.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has said that the “language of ultimatums, blackmail, and threats” is unacceptable to Moscow and that it views the threat of new sanctions as mundane.
A fortnight ago, Trump vowed to slap brutal 100 percent tariffs on Russia if Moscow did not reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within 50 days.
Despite the threat of economic retribution, Putin responded with aggressive drone and missile strikes — including attacks on Ukrainian cities like Kharkiv — and Russian officials dismissed the deadline as political theater.
The latest move marks a clear break from Trump’s earlier optimism — an unmistakable signal that his patience with Putin is wearing thin and a new playbook may be in the works.
READ NEXT: POTUS Silences Naysayers With Landmark Deal
