US President Donald Trump has given a veiled two-week ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin, hinting at a shift in US strategy if Russia fails to show commitment to ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump responded to a question on whether he believed Putin wanted peace, saying:
“I can’t tell you that, but I’ll let you know in about two weeks… We’re gonna find out whether or not [Putin is] tapping us along. And if he is, we’ll respond a little bit differently.”
Trump’s comments came in the wake of Russia’s heaviest bombardment of Ukraine in recent months, which saw at least 13 civilians killed in Kyiv over the weekend, including children. Russian strikes have continued into midweek with no sign of de-escalation.
Trump-Putin peace push appears to stall
Trump’s remarks reflect growing unease over the lack of progress following recent US diplomatic efforts.
A two-hour phone call between Trump and Putin earlier this month had raised hopes for a truce, with both sides reportedly discussing a “memorandum on a possible future peace agreement.”
While Trump described the call as having gone “very well,” Russia has yet to present any peace document, and its missile and drone attacks intensified shortly after the call.
Despite Trump’s assertion that only his intervention has prevented “lots of bad things” from happening, critics note that his warnings to Russia have yielded no significant concessions.
Moscow has continued to harden its demands, including calls for Ukraine to cede territory not currently occupied by Russia and recognition of Crimea as part of Russia—conditions experts describe as unacceptable to Kyiv.
White House policy draws scrutiny amid renewed escalation
Trump’s approach has faced criticism for appearing to pressure Ukraine more than Russia.
In March, Washington temporarily suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv for eight days, reportedly in a bid to compel progress on peace talks. However, no similar pressure has been publicly applied to Moscow.
The White House maintains that it has not appeased the Kremlin, pointing out that all Biden-era sanctions on Russia remain in effect.
On social media, Trump has escalated his rhetoric, describing Putin as having gone “absolutely crazy” and “playing with fire.”
In response, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov dismissed Trump’s comments, suggesting the former president is “not sufficiently informed” about the conflict and accused Ukraine of carrying out “massive terrorist attacks” on Russian cities.
Germany steps in as US-Russia peace efforts falter
As US efforts stall, Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of Berlin’s support.
On Wednesday, Merz pledged to help Ukraine produce long-range missiles, prompting warnings from Moscow that lifting range restrictions would be a dangerous escalation.
Ukraine’s leadership has accused Russia of deliberately delaying peace efforts, citing the unfulfilled promise of a memorandum after the Istanbul talks.
The Kremlin insists the document is nearing completion.
Four years into war, no end in sight
Now in its fourth year, the war has killed tens of thousands and left large swaths of Ukraine’s east and south in ruins.
Russia controls about one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea, annexed in 2014.
With diplomatic channels strained and military escalation intensifying, Trump’s two-week warning to Putin signals a possible turning point in US policy towards Russia and the war in Ukraine.
