logo
Trump says he'll reduce timeline for Russia to agree to ceasefire or face consequences

Trump says he'll reduce timeline for Russia to agree to ceasefire or face consequences

The Hill5 days ago
President Trump told reporters he plans to shorten the timeline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine based on Russian President Vladimir Putin's continued attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Trump had said on July 14 that Russia would face additional sanctions and tariffs if it did not stop fighting in Ukraine within 50 days, putting the deadline at Sept. 2. But on Monday, the president indicated he would push up that timeframe.
'We thought we had that settled numerous times and then President Putin goes out an starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever,' Trump said standing alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 'You have bodies lying all over the street. And I say that's not the way to do it. So we'll see what happens with that. I'm very disappointed. I'm disappointed in President Putin.
'I'm going to reduce that 50 days I gave him to a lesser number because I think I already know the answer what's going to happen,' Trump added, without providing more detail on a new timeline for the U.S. initiating sactions targeting Moscow.
The president earlier this month said the U.S. would impose 'severe' tariffs on Russia if Moscow did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine in the next 50 days. Trump indicated he would impose a 100 percent 'secondary' tariff, which would target other nations that do business with Russia in a bid to further hurt the Russian economy.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 after amassing troops at the border. Trump campaigned on a pledge to end the war within 24 hours, a timeframe he later claimed was 'sarcastic.'
While Trump has at times complained about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's approach to the conflict, he has in recent weeks expressed increasing frustration with Putin as Moscow continues to fire missiles into Ukraine despite the White House's push for a ceasefire.
Trump earlier this month also announced NATO alliance members would finance the purchase of additional U.S. weapons to be sent to Ukraine.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump signals break with Netanyahu on Gaza hunger crisis
Trump signals break with Netanyahu on Gaza hunger crisis

Yahoo

time33 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump signals break with Netanyahu on Gaza hunger crisis

President Trump on Monday signaled a break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Trump acknowledged there was 'real starvation' happening. Trump told reporters during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he did 'not particularly' agree with Netanyahu's claim that there was no starvation happening in Gaza, which has been devastated by Israel's war against Hamas. The president also said the U.S. would take a more active role in getting food into the region. Still, Trump has not gone as far as some European leaders in calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state. And he has largely stopped short of outright criticizing Israel for its role in preventing aid from getting to Palestinians. 'I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry,' Trump told reporters when asked about Netanyahu's claim. Starmer, standing beside Trump after the two greeted each other in Scotland, called the situation in Gaza, in which photos of malnourished children amid reports of 1 in 3 people going multiple days without eating show a crisis coming to a head, 'absolutely intolerable' and 'revolting.' Trump and his administration have been involved in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, but so far no agreements have stuck. Trump recently put the blame on Hamas as the obstacle to a deal. But the president has also routinely shown frustration with Netanyahu, with their bond being tested before over the continued fighting with the two leaders' opposing assessments of starvation in the enclave as the latest example. 'He certainly seemed to have a different view of what's happening on the ground in Gaza with respect to starvation or massive hunger,' said Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'He also seemed to open the door for potential increase in funding or maybe a new approach,' Yacoubian added. 'But whether that actually translates into something is a whole other question because we've certainly seen the president state a position then within 24 hours take a completely different view.' Trump did succeed in getting Netanyahu to pull back fighter jets heading for Iran after he claimed success in a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Trump also went around Netanyahu to free an American-Israeli hostage held by Hamas and came to a deal with the Houthis in Yemen to halt attacks on ships in the Red Sea. In May, Trump's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, announced the U.S. would take the lead in getting aid into Gaza amid an Israeli blockade. Israel came around in supporting the American-founded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as the sole distributor of aid in the strip. But the GHF has come under intense scrutiny as contributing to the chaos and instability around aid distribution: Hungry Palestinians report being shot at by the Israeli military, there are accusations that GHF contractors are using live ammunition, and the crowded and unsafe conditions have led to injuries and death. 'Since this GHF scheme began, public reports have found that more than 700 starving people have been killed and nearly 5,000 injured while desperately seeking food at or near often chaotic GHF distribution sites,' a group of Senate Democrats wrote Monday, calling for the administration to answer questions about the group's funding and operations. 'The U.S. government must stop facilitating the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operations and use U.S. leverage to urge the Netanyahu government to revert to the UN-led mechanism, both for the safety and well-being of Palestinians in Gaza and to preserve humanitarian principles that have existed for decades.' Trump's criticism of the humanitarian situation in Gaza came after Israel announced over the weekend it would take more steps to improve Palestinians' access to food, responding to growing international outrage blaming Israel for the food crisis. Israel in March imposed a blockade on Gaza, blocking humanitarian supplies and other goods from getting into the strip. Still, Jerusalem focused blame on the United Nations and other international organizations as failing to pick up pallets of food and Hamas as bearing sole responsibility for the suffering in the strip. U.N. officials and aid organizations argue that food distribution efforts are too dangerous without meaningful coordination with Israel inside the strip. 'When bureaucratic and political hurdles are lifted, the humanitarian community has demonstrated it can deliver assistance at scale, in a dignified way, without diversion. During the ceasefire fire in earlier this year, we succeeded to reverse the deepening hunger,' Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA, the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians, posted Friday on social platform X. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Saturday it would begin airdrops of food, temporarily halt fighting and open up designated humanitarian corridors 'to enable the safe movement of UN convoys delivering food and medicine to the population.' 'We call on the UN and its affiliated organizations to cooperate with this IDF effort and cease forthwith its tendentious policy of boycotting any effort that reverses its traditional mechanism of allowing the massive diversion of aid into the hands of Hamas,' Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said in a statement Sunday. Trump last Friday largely did not engage with questions about the crisis playing out in Gaza, instead repeatedly blaming Hamas for peace talks faltering and suggesting Israel would have to 'finish the job.' But his tone changed Monday when he met with Starmer, who much more forcefully called the situation in Gaza 'absolutely intolerable.' Trump told reporters while sitting next to Starmer during a meeting that the U.S. would work to set up 'food centers' in Gaza. He did not provide specifics on whether the U.S. would be involved on the ground or if a third party organization would assist, but he indicated it would be a joint effort with other nations. 'I know your nation's joining us, and we have all of the European nations joining us, and others also called and they want to be helpful. So we're going to set up food centers and where the people can walk in and no boundaries. We're not going to have fences,' Trump said. 'It's going to be working with the United States. We'll be helping with the food … and we're going to bring it over there, and we're also going to make sure they don't have barriers stopping people,' Trump said when asked how the food centers would work. Pressed on whether Israel, which has placed restrictions on aid getting into Gaza for months, can do more to get food to Palestinians, Trump said he thought Israel 'can do a lot' before accusing Iran of derailing ceasefire talks despite his administration touting Tehran's weakening following attacks by Israel. Trump and Netanyahu have generally had a strong relationship despite the occasional hiccup. Trump has called for the corruption trial against Netanyahu to be canceled, while the Israeli leader presented Trump a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize during a recent White House visit. Swaths of the Republican Party are also staunchly pro-Israel, and it's unclear if there will be a sustained break between Trump and Netanyahu that would lead to a dramatic change in U.S. policy. But there are signs parts of Trump's base are growing frustrated with Israel, with the images coming out of Gaza adding to their calls for change. Theo Von, who hosts one of the most popular podcasts in the country and has hosted both Trump and Vice President Vance on his show, posted a plea on social media Sunday asking the president and other leaders to do more to get aid into Gaza. 'Children are starving to death!! We are America. This isnt about politics. This is about humanity,' Von posted on X. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Sunday called the situation in Gaza 'horrific.' 'I can unequivocally say that what happened to innocent people in Israel on Oct 7th was horrific,' Greene posted on X, referring to the date of Hamas's deadly terrorist attacks against Israel in 2023. 'Just as I can unequivocally say that what has been happening to innocent people and children in Gaza is horrific,' she added. 'This war and humanitarian crisis must end!' Matt Gaetz, the former Republican congressman from Florida who withdrew as Trump's nominee for attorney general, on Friday hosted on his show on One America News Network an Israeli father of a hostage held by Hamas. The father was calling for the U.S. to condition aid to Israel to get to a ceasefire with Hamas and criticized Netanyahu as 'not acting in a responsible way' 'Incredible statement,' Gaetz wrote on X accompanying a clip of the interview. Gaetz had earlier criticized Israel for failing to investigate the death of an American Palestinian allegedly killed in a confrontation with Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword

Trump: Aug. 1 tariff deadline ‘stands strong'
Trump: Aug. 1 tariff deadline ‘stands strong'

Yahoo

time34 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump: Aug. 1 tariff deadline ‘stands strong'

President Trump on Wednesday indicated there would be no extensions of the deadline at the end of the week, when steep tariffs are set to go into effect on many nations. 'The August first deadline is the August first deadline — It stands strong, and will not be extended. A big day for America!!!' Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump has issued letters to more than a dozen countries informing them of tariff rates they will face to export their goods into the United States beginning Aug. 1. Those include a 25 percent tariff on India, a 35 percent tariff on Bangladesh and a 50 percent tariff on Brazil, among others. The White House has struck deals with a handful of other countries to set lower tariff rates, including with Japan, the European Union, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. Critics have argued the details around those agreements are still scarce and have noted that the tariff rate those countries will pay, while lower than an initial threat, is still higher than it was before Trump took office. The timing and severity of tariffs on other nations have been shifting targets since Trump took office, after he vowed on the campaign trail to aggressively impose duties on imports. He has repeatedly threatened tariffs on other nations, only to back off or delay their imposition. The president on April 2 announced 'reciprocal' tariffs on dozens of other countries, using trade deficits to help calculate the tariff rate. But a week later, he lowered those rates to 10 percent for 90 days as markets reacted negatively, giving time for negotiations. The 90-day window was set to expire in early July, only for Trump to set a new deadline of Aug. 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword

Trump administration not participating in UN two-state solution conference
Trump administration not participating in UN two-state solution conference

Yahoo

time34 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump administration not participating in UN two-state solution conference

The State Department said Monday it would not participate in an initiative from France and Saudi Arabia at the United Nations supporting a two-state solution to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, criticizing the summit as harmful to ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the U.N. two-state solution conference is an 'ill-advised stunt that will further embolden Hamas and undermine our serious diplomatic efforts to end the war.' 'The United States will not participate in the July UN two-state solution conference,' Bruce wrote on social platform X. 'We will continue to work with partners towards a resolution.' President Trump has held back from endorsing long-standing U.S. policy supporting a two-state solution to end the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, which aims to establish a Palestinian state in the territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip while preserving Israel's security. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for decades pushed policies aimed at undermining the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. During a meeting at the White House in July, Trump deferred to Netanyahu on whether the Israeli leader supports a two-state solution. Netanyahu answered that Palestinians could have self-government, but that Israel should maintain ultimate security control. Trump for the most part sides with Netanyahu and Israel, but the president has routinely shown he will act unilaterally on policies he views are in his interest. Trump has signaled he wants to be able to take credit for establishing ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh's red line is no normalization with Israel absent a Palestinian state. Last week, Trump dispatched his ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, to meet with Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh. Part of negotiations to end the war between Israel and Hamas is finding an alternative governing body for the strip. While the Palestinian Authority is present in the strip, it is not viewed as the most credible actor or strongest political body to exercise control. And negotiations for a ceasefire to the war have stalled. The latest conflict began when Hamas launched a terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. The death toll in Gaza during the conflict is around 60,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians The Trump administration has put the blame on Hamas as being a barrier to peace, but international outrage over Israel's demolition of the Gaza Strip and the humanitarian crisis wrought on the Palestinians has isolated Jerusalem. Last week, French President Emanuel Macron announced that Paris would recognize a Palestinian state, a largely symbolic move but one that likely triggered alarm in Jerusalem over whether other major industrialized nations would follow suit and grant recognition of Palestinian statehood. Trump on Monday signaled a break with Netanyahu when he acknowledged there was 'real starvation' happening. Over the weekend, Israel announced it would open up additional humanitarian corridors to provide aide in Gaza, pause fighting to allow for distribution and carry out aid drops. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store