Donald Trump has claimed the end of the Ukraine war could come in weeks, despite his latest deadline for Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire expiring in a matter of hours. <\/p>\n
Last Monday, Trump dramatically shortened his previous 50-day ultimatum, giving Russia \u201c10 to 12 days\u201d to make progress toward peace or face tougher sanctions.<\/p>\n
Sources close to the Kremlin say Putin is unlikely to bow to Trump\u2019s threats, believing Russia holds the upper hand in the war and that the potential benefits of improved ties with Washington do not outweigh his military aims.<\/p>\n
Still, an agreement has been reached for Putin and Trump to meet \u201cin the coming days\u201d to discuss a ceasefire – a first since Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva in 2021.<\/p>\n
The talks follow a three-hour meeting between Trump\u2019s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin in Moscow.<\/p>\n
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to meet to discuss Ukraine\u2019s future (AFP\/Getty)Trump has made a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – which would be a first since the invasion began in February 2022 – a condition of a US-Russia meeting. So far, Putin has not conceded.<\/p>\n
Having repeatedly vowed to end the war \u201cwithin 24 hours\u201d of taking up office, Trump now faces mounting pressure as his deadlines slip and Putin shows no sign of backing down. <\/p>\n
But his growing \u201cdisappointment\u201d in Putin and sanction threats suggest his patience is wearing thin.<\/p>\n
Here, The Independent looks at the times Trump has set deadlines for Russia:<\/p>\n
On the campaign trail<\/p>\n
While campaigning for a second term in office, Trump said dozens of times he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of returning to the White House.<\/p>\n
He repeatedly asserted he would have the war \u201csettled\u201d if he became president again, including at both presidential debates of 2024.<\/p>\n
CNN has counted at least 53 occasions between March 2023 and October 2024 that Trump made such comments.<\/p>\n
20 January, Inauguration Day<\/p>\n
Trump reiterated his desire to end the war when he was inaugurated, although no explicit deadline was given.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent, and totally unpredictable,\u201d the US President said in his Inaugural Address.<\/p>\n
Later that day, he discussed Putin to reporters: \u201cI mean, he\u2019s grinding it out, but most people thought that war would have been over in one week, and now we\u2019re into three years. So he can\u2019t be thrilled, [it\u2019s] not making him look very good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Our power will stop all wars,\u2019 Trump said in his Inaugural Address (Getty)22 January, the first 48 hours<\/p>\n
By 22 January, Trump had not spoken to Putin since he was sworn in but he said his aides were working to arrange a conversation. <\/p>\n
He threatened unspecified sanctions on Moscow if Putin didn\u2019t come to the negotiating table \u2018soon\u2019. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was \u201cnot looking to hurt Russia\u201d and expressed \u201clove\u201d for the Russian people.<\/p>\n
The president boasted of his \u201cvery good relationship\u201d with Putin \u2013 who in 2016 ordered what the Department of Justice called a \u201csweeping and systematic\u201d effort to interfere in the presidential election on Trump\u2019s behalf. Trump has repeatedly claims that interference in the election is a \u201choax\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll of that being said, I\u2019m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT\u2019S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
Russia\u2019s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said Moscow would need to see what Trump\u2019s definition of a \u201cdeal\u201d would look like before coming to the negotiating table. <\/p>\n
12 February, Putin-Trump call<\/p>\n
Trump said he spoke to Putin and agreed to \u2018immediately\u2019 start talks on ending Ukraine war in the two leaders\u2019 first direct exchange since the invasion.<\/p>\n
He claimed Putin agreed to closely cooperate and host official visits, and that their teams would begin negotiations right away.<\/p>\n
The call marked a break-away from the Biden administration policy to not discuss Ukraine without Kyiv\u2019s presence. He said he later spoke with Zelensky but did not commit to making Ukraine an equal participant to US negotiations with Russia.<\/p>\n
It came as his defence secretary announced an end to longstanding US policy supporting Ukrainian membership in NATO.<\/p>\n
In response, Zelensky maintained a brave face, saying he had a \u201cmeaningful conversation\u201d with Trump and that Kyiv was ready to \u201cwork together at a team level\u201d. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin emphasised the need to remove the war\u2019s \u201croot causes\u201d but that settlement could be reached through peace talks. <\/p>\n
28 February, The Oval Office meeting<\/p>\n
The infamous meeting between Trump and Zelensky in the White House (Getty Images)By month\u2019s end and moments after saying he wished to be remembered as a \u201cpeacekeeper,\u201d Trump berated Zelensky in the tense Oval Office meeting, as press and stunned diplomats looked on. <\/p>\n
With support from his deputy, JD Vance – who repeatedly pressed Zelensky on whether he\u2019d ever said \u201cthank you\u201d for US military assistance – Trump condemned the Ukrainian leader as \u201cdisrespectful\u201d and called off a minerals deal he had touted as a step toward peace. <\/p>\n
Claiming to be \u201ccaught in the middle\u201d, he cited Zelensky\u2019s \u201chatred\u201d for Putin as a major obstacle to ending the war. <\/p>\n
Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine on 3 March. The next day, Zelensky extended an olive branch to Trump and said the showdown was \u201cregrettable\u201d and remained committed to cooperating over a peace deal.<\/p>\n
14 March, \u201824-hour promise was sarcastic\u2019<\/p>\n
Trump claimed he was \u201cbeing a little bit sarcastic\u201d when he repeatedly said as a candidate that he would end the war within 24 hours. <\/p>\n
In the following days he spoke with both Zelensky and Putin on successive days. <\/p>\n
In one call on 18 March, Putin refused to back Trump\u2019s suggested full 30-day ceasefire but agreed not to target Ukraine\u2019s energy infrastructure. <\/p>\n
The next day, Trump proposed that Zelensky consider handing over ownership of Ukraine\u2019s power plants to the US for security – an idea Zelensky strongly rebutted. <\/p>\n
14 April, Trump blames everyone for no deal<\/p>\n
By 14 April, Trump blamed everyone: Zelensky, Putin and Biden.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a war that should have never been allowed to start and Biden could have stopped it and Zelensky could have stopped it and Putin should have never started it,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
He proceeded to alternate blame between Zelensky and Putin. On 23 April, Trump said Zelensky was prolonging the \u201ckilling field\u201d after pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan. He added that Zelensky\u2019s stance was \u201cvery harmful\u201d to talks and that a deal had been close.<\/p>\n
The next day, he urged Putin to stop after Russia\u2019s deadly barrage of assaults on Kyiv – at the time it was the biggest attack since the summer before. \u201cI am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying,\u201d Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. \u201cLets get the Peace Deal DONE!\u201d<\/p>\n
Rubio warned the US may abandon Ukraine peace talks if progress was not made in the coming days.<\/p>\n
28 May, two-week deadline<\/p>\n
Asked about Russia\u2019s escalating violence in Ukraine, Trump appeared to issue a two-week deadline for Vladimir Putin to demonstrate he actually wants to end the war.<\/p>\n
Pressed on whether he thought Putin wanted to end the war, Trump said: \u201cI can\u2019t tell you that, but I\u2019ll let you know in about two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWithin two weeks. We’re gonna find out whether or not (Putin is) tapping us along or not. And if he is, we’ll respond a little bit differently.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comments came as the Kremlin ramped up its attacks on Ukraine, including some of the deadliest attacks of the war, and were a sign of Trump\u2019s growing frustration at the lack of efforts to achieve peace.<\/p>\n
Trump is set to meet Putin next week (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)14 July, 50-day deadline<\/p>\n
Trump announced the US could impose \u201cvery severe\u201d secondary tariffs, potentially 100 per cent, on Russia if the war in Ukraine is not concluded within 50 days. <\/p>\n
He expressed strong disappointment with Russian President Putin, accusing him of being \u201call talk\u201d and condemning Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets. <\/p>\n
While the US does not have a current trade relationship with Russia, following Biden\u2019s sanctions, secondary tariffs aimed to punish countries buying Russian oil. China and India are among the biggest purchasers and refine the oil for export elsewhere.<\/p>\n
But rather than be spooked, the Russian stock market rose by 2.7 per cent as the country had expected tougher sanctions.<\/p>\n
28 July, shortens deadline 10-12 days<\/p>\n
Trump again said he is \u201cvery disappointed\u201d in Putin and that he\u2019s cutting Moscow\u2019s 50-day deadline to avoid secondary sanctions on Russian oil to between 10 and 12 days from then, unless Putin ends the war.<\/p>\n
Speaking alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on the steps of his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, Trump complained that Putin had too often talked a good game about wanting to reach a ceasefire in the conflict only to resume bombing civilian targets in short order.<\/p>\n
As Trump grew significantly frustrated with Putin in recent weeks, he gave him until Friday 8 August to make progress toward peace in Ukraine or face tougher sanctions.<\/p>\n
However, the day before the deadline the Kremlin said Putin would be meeting with Trump next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Donald Trump has claimed the end of the Ukraine war could come in weeks, despite his latest deadline for Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire expiring in a matter of hours. Last Monday, Trump dramatically shortened his previous 50-day ultimatum, giving Russia \u201c10 to 12 days\u201d to make progress toward peace or face tougher […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n