Ukrainians unimpressed by Trump's 50-day ultimatum to Putin
Trump announces 50-day timeline for peace or sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin faces another 50-day deadline from President Trump, who tweeted this morning that he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about Russia's war against Ukraine.
"I told him that Russia has intensified bombings of Ukrainian civilian population and infrastructure since my last conversation with him," Trump said in his tweet, adding, "This madness must end, and it must end now."
Trump also said he gave Zelenskyy "a road map to peace," although the Ukrainian president has yet to comment on the details of their discussion.
Previous attempts at diplomacy have fallen short
It's not the first time Trump has involved himself in Ukraine-Russia diplomacy. At the start of the war, he attempted to negotiate a peace deal, promising Zelenskyy that Russia would remove its troops from Ukraine within days.
While fighting did not stop, Trump continued to advocate for better relations with Russia and downplayed the horrors of the war.
That policy shifted after the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, with Congress authorizing more than $50 billion in aid to Ukraine and the departure of Trump advisers who favored closer relations with Russia.
Putin unlikely to bend to pressure
Putin, who rarely acknowledges Trump's comments, could be motivated to act this time around.
That's because the Biden administration has recently strengthened already severe sanctions on Russia, including targeting Putin himself.
"The US government has made clear that we will continue to escalate sanctions and other economic measures in response to Russian atrocities in Ukraine," a US official said yesterday.
But Putin has shown no signs of slowing his war against Ukraine, despite criticism from around the world. Recent drone and missile strikes on civilian targets in Kyiv and other cities have been roundly condemned as war crimes.
It remains to be seen whether Trump's new roadmap to peace will lead to a breakthrough in Ukraine or give Putin an opportunity to save face and exit the war.
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