EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that the timeline of the President Trump’s 50-day ultimatum to Putin for Ukraine peace talks is too long as civilians die daily.
Trump announced on 14 July that the US would impose 100% tariffs on Russia’s trading partners unless Putin agrees to end the war within 50 days. Speaking with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump called these “secondary tariffs” and described them as “very severe.”
“On the one hand, it is very positive that President Trump is taking a strong stance on Russia. On the other hand, 50 days is a very long time if we see that they are killing innocent civilians, also every day,” Kallas said, according to The Telegraph.
US President Donald Trump expressed earlier his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin following revelations that Moscow plans to escalate military operations in eastern Ukraine within the next 60 days.
“I’m disappointed in President Putin because I thought we would have had a deal two months ago, but it doesn’t seem to get there,” Trump told reporters.
The statement comes after Putin reportedly informed Trump during their 3 July conversation that Russia intended to continue offensive operations until it secured the full administrative borders of occupied Ukrainian oblasts.
Following the statemens, Trump also announced on 14 July a new military assistance package for Ukraine totaling $10 billion, which includes Patriot missiles, air defense weapons, and artillery.
The proposed tariffs fall short of a bipartisan Senate bill seeking 500% tariffs on Russian oil importers.
Trump and Rutte unveiled a NATO-funded weapons program for Ukraine. “We’re gonna make top-of-the-line weapons, and they’ll be sent to NATO. NATO may choose to have a certain number of them sent to other countries,” Trump said.
Rutte said Ukraine will receive “massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defense, but also missiles, ammunition, etc.” Germany and Norway voiced readiness to purchase three Patriot batteries for Ukraine delivery.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy thanked Trump for the weapons decision.
The military assistance package will help Ukraine to defend its citizen and infrustructure from Russian attacks that included more than 700 missile and drone strikes on some days last week.