Trump Gives Russia 50 Days to End the War

SadaNews - U.S. President Donald Trump has given Russia a 50-day ultimatum to end the war in Ukraine, threatening severe economic sanctions, including a 100% tariff on Russian imports if a peace agreement is not reached within the deadline.

 

Trump announced in a joint press conference with the new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, a plan to provide Ukraine with significant quantities of arms through the alliance, including Patriot defense systems, in an agreement involving NATO countries, led by Germany.

The "Washington Post" reported that the value of new U.S. military assistance amounts to $10 billion, which may include long-range "ATACMS" missiles already present in Ukraine.

This move comes after Trump deemed that Putin is seriously rejecting calls for a ceasefire. In contrast, the "Wall Street Journal" reported that Russia has increased its production of ballistic missiles in an attempt to balance Western superiority, signaling a dangerous escalation.

The White House spokesperson also revealed that Trump had direct contact with Ukrainian President Zelensky, during which they discussed ways to protect Ukraine. Zelensky praised Trump for his willingness to support efforts to stop the Russian attacks.

For his part, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that his country would play a crucial role in the new defense agreement, offering to purchase Patriot systems to send to Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of coordination with partners and increasing pressure on Moscow without sliding into direct confrontation.

The NATO Secretary General emphasized the need for Europe to share the cost of supporting Ukraine, while Washington plans to sell weapons to its European allies to be later transferred to Kyiv through NATO mechanisms.

It is notable that Russia started the war in Ukraine in February 2022, and Kyiv demands the abandonment of its NATO membership aspirations as a condition to halt military operations.