U.S. President Donald Trump is warning that his country may have to “change tactics” regarding Ukraine if Russian leader Vladimir Putin does not end the war within two weeks.
Trump estimated that the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine would be known “within two weeks.” He added that if there was no progress, a “change of tactics” might be necessary.
Trump has previously presented various deadlines for ending the war, but those timelines have shifted depending on the situation.
On July 14, he spoke of 50 days, but later shortened that period, citing frustration with Putin. Russia has continuously hit Ukraine with waves of missile and drone strikes, often shortly after speaking with Trump.
On July 29, Trump issued a new ultimatum, giving Moscow 10 days to end the war or face 100 percent tariffs, along with Moscow’s trading partners, which could include countries like India and China.
However, before the deadline expired, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, arrived in Moscow, where, according to the White House, Putin requested a personal meeting with Trump, which took place in Alaska on Aug. 15.
After the talks, the U.S. president again postponed the announced sanctions.
Would could different tactics mean?
One thing is also clear. The U.S. and its Western allies have withheld numerous weapons from Ukraine over the years, including the most advanced Western weapons, such as the F-35 stealth fighters. Some analysts believe that armed with certain weapons, Ukraine could quickly turn the tide against Russia, but the threat of nuclear war has kept Western allies from making such a move.
In addition, long-range Western missiles could be deployed in large numbers against Russian forces, including against weapons factories deep in Russian territory. Again, there are extreme risks present that have kept countries like Germany, for instance, from supplying weapons such as the Taurus weapons system.
So far, Western allies of Ukraine have supplied the Ukrainian army with just enough weapons to keep it stable, but steady territorial losses have also emboldened Russia.
Trump so far has not outlined what these “different tactics” could include, whether they are economic or military.
Peace talks appear set for failure
Since the peace talks in Alaska, it remains highly unclear whether the planned Zelensky-Putin meet will ever happen.
On Aug. 18, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, Trump said an agreement was possible within “a week or two.” He suggested there were “no exceptionally difficult issues” that would prevent a deal that would provide Ukraine with guarantees against future aggression.
Following these talks, Trump personally called Putin to discuss the possibility of a meeting with Zelensky. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made it clear that such a meeting was unlikely in the near future.
On Thursday, the British newspaper The Guardian, citing sources in the US administration, reported that Trump had abandoned attempts to arrange a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky. According to the newspaper, the U.S. president concluded that Moscow and Kyiv should independently take the initiative to organize face-to-face talks, which he believes could be another step toward ending the war.
In a commentary piece published on Remix News this week, it was argued that it is unlikely Trump will be able to obtain peace in Ukraine due to various factors at work. While a disaster for Ukraine, and especially Ukrainians and Russians, the fighting is likely to continue. Whether this prediction comes true or not is yet to be seen.
