US President Donald Trump on Monday gave Russia an ultimatum, demanding that it end the war in Ukraine within 50 days or face severe economic penalties. Speaking at the White House alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, he warned Moscow of the possibility of imposing “very severe tariffs” if a peace deal was not reached within the set timeframe.
He stated that the US was extremely unhappy with Russia and outlined plans for sweeping secondary tariffs that would target not only Russian exports but also the trade partners sustaining its economy. Under these proposed measures, tariff rates could rise to as high as 100 percent, with the aim of further isolating Moscow and intensifying its economic hardship.
In a related development, Trump and Rutte announced a new NATO procurement initiative intended to bolster Ukraine’s defences. Under this arrangement, the alliance would acquire advanced US-made weaponry, including Patriot missile systems, and distribute them to Kyiv as it continued its efforts to repel Russia’s invasion.
“This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO… and that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield,” Trump said.
Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, said Ukraine would get “massive numbers” of weapons under the deal.
Trump launched a bid at rapprochement with Putin shortly after starting his second term in January, as he sought to honor his election campaign promise to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours.
His pivot towards Putin sparked fears in Kyiv that he was about to sell out Ukraine, especially after Trump and his team berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office in February.
US President Donald Trump’s frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin was reported to have intensified as Moscow continued its relentless assault on Ukraine, despite increasing international pressure to end the three-year war.
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On Monday, Trump was quoted as describing Putin as “a tough guy,” while also stating that he did not want to call him an assassin, a remark that highlighted his growing discontent with the Kremlin’s escalations.
His comments came after he pledged on Sunday to send Patriot air defence systems to Kyiv, marking a significant policy shift just weeks after Washington had suggested it might pause some arms supplies to Ukraine. According to the White House, the decision aimed to help Ukraine counter the unprecedented waves of Russian missile and drone attacks that had pushed civilian casualties to their highest levels in three years, based on UN data.
The announcement coincided with a visit to Kyiv by Trump’s special envoy, Keith Kellogg, who held what was described as a productive meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky said their discussions focused on strengthening Ukraine’s air defences, joint weapons production, and future procurement deals involving European partners. He expressed gratitude to President Trump for the strong signals of support and positive decisions that he believed would benefit both countries.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who earlier in the year had drawn headlines for referring to Trump as “daddy” during a NATO summit in The Hague, visited the White House for talks, marking his first official visit since assuming the alliance’s top role.