Trump appears to set Putin 'two-week' deadline on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has indicated that he will set a two-week deadline to determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is genuinely interested in ending the ongoing war in Ukraine. Speaking during a press briefing in the Oval Office, Trump said that within two weeks, the US would know if Putin is 'tapping us along' or merely stringing the US along. If Putin is not serious, Trump warned that the US would respond differently. This statement comes amid a significant escalation in Russian attacks on Ukraine, which have been some of the deadliest since the conflict began four years ago. The recent bombardments in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, resulted in at least 13 deaths and many injuries, including children. Trump has publicly criticized Putin, describing him as 'playing with fire' and acting irrationally. His remarks reflect growing frustration as diplomatic efforts to negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine have so far failed. Earlier, Trump and Putin had a phone conversation that Trump described as going 'very well,' with Putin expressing willingness to work on a peace agreement. However, just a week after that call, Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv, showing no sign of easing the conflict. No peace memorandum has been produced by Russia despite these talks. Trump’s previous threats have not led to any change in Moscow’s actions. Since taking office, Trump has taken some actions against Ukraine, including suspending US military aid and intelligence sharing for eight days in March. The US administration has not publicly demanded major concessions from Russia, and the White House insists it is not appeasing Moscow, pointing to ongoing sanctions against Russia. However, Russia appears to be growing stronger rather than weaker. Trump’s social media posts suggest he believes something has changed with Putin, but Kremlin officials say Trump is not fully informed about the situation. Russia accuses Ukraine of carrying out terrorist attacks on Russian cities, which complicates the conflict further. Meanwhile, Germany’s new chancellor has promised support to Ukraine to defend itself against Russian attacks. The Kremlin has warned that allowing Ukraine to use longer-range missiles would be dangerous and could harm peace efforts. In response to Russia’s stubbornness, Trump has softened his demands, moving from calling for an immediate 30-day ceasefire to seeking a summit with Putin to negotiate a breakthrough. Russia and its foreign minister have increased their demands, including requiring Ukraine to give up parts of its territory not even occupied by Russian forces and demanding US recognition of Crimea as part of Russia. A former US ambassador to Moscow described these demands as a 'poison pill' designed to make peace impossible and shift blame onto Ukraine. The war has caused tens of thousands of deaths and left much of eastern and southern Ukraine in ruins. Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of delaying peace talks and failing to deliver a promised peace memorandum after talks in Istanbul. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document is in its 'final stages,' but no agreement has yet been reached.