President Donald Trump, who once claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours, came up on his own deadline at midnight.
Vladimir Putin shows no of backing down from his war machine after more than two-and-a-half years of grinding conflict – and the president’s ultimatum may have fallen on deaf ears in the Kremlin.
The Russian strongman has continuously dragged out every negotiation while pushing for total military victory, increasingly thumbing his nose at Trump and betting he can outlast Ukraine’s stubborn resistance.
Trump’s stark deadline – end the war or face crushing economic sanctions – is the biggest test yet of whether anything can be done to tame the Putin’s unrelenting war machine.
New sanctions could send gas prices soaring for American drivers, mirroring the inflation spike that hammered consumers immediately following Russia’s 2022 invasion. Basic economics dictate the outcome: less oil supply means higher demand and more pain at the pump for everyday Americans.
But the ripple effect goes even further. Everyday goods, even things like the price of medicine and technology, could be impacted.
Foreign policy experts warn the autocrat has already proven he’s willing to sacrifice his economy and his people for a chance at more territory.
Foreign policy expert John Sitilides told the Daily Mail that Putin believes his military momentum will continue into the fall as he seeks to turn Ukraine into a ‘rump land-locked state, cut off from the Black Sea.’
On Wednesday, the commander-in-chief enforced an extra 25 percent tariff on India – a punishment for the country buying Russian oil. That will bring the total tariff on imports from Indian to 50 percent
He added that Trump’s threat to remove Russia’s share of oil exports from the global economy is ‘non-credible’ to Putin.
Justin Logan, director of Defense and Foreign Policy studies at the CATO institute, told the Daily Mail that Trump is grappling with an unfortunate reality: ‘Russia is slowly winning a grinding, brutal war of attrition and knows it.’
‘Putin is unlikely to agree to a short-term ceasefire unless he feels confident he will make progress toward his political goals,’ he added.
Trump has said he would unleash a second round of tariffs at 100 percent on any nation that purchases Russian oil, including China, one of Russia’s top allies.
On Wednesday, the commander-in-chief enforced an extra 25 percent tariff on India – a punishment for the country buying Russian oil. That will bring the total tariff on imports from Indian to 50 percent, setting records as one of the highest rates imposed by the administration.
Trump left the option open for other countries to follow in India’s footsteps if they go against his orders.
This week, the president sent his eyes and ears, envoy Steve Witkoff, to Moscow, hoping for a sort of ‘Hail Mary’ diplomatic resolution.
The president said on Thursday that he would agree to meet with Putin without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This week, the President sent his eyes and ears, envoy Steve Witkoff, to Moscow, hoping for a sort of ‘Hail Mary’ diplomatic talk. He reportedly spoke with Putin and his allies
Experts say there will be a whiplash effect from the imposed Russian tariffs on the rest of the globe, likely upending the US economy
‘They would like to meet with me and I’ll do whatever I can to stop the killing,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Kremlin leaders said a meeting between the two presidents has been agreed upon, and should happen in the ‘coming days’.
Zelensky has historically raised alarms at being left out of negotiations and decision-making regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.
‘Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It’s time to end the war. Thank you to everyone who is helping!’ he wrote in a post on X.
But Sitilides, a senior fellow for National Security at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and former State Department diplomacy consultant, told the Daily Mail, ‘It is difficult to envision a serious breakthrough soon in the Russia-Ukraine stalemate.’
Putin, he says, seeks to exhaust Ukraine’s strained defense forces.
‘His objectives are unchanged – he wants Ukraine turned into a rump land-locked state, cut off from the Black Sea and dependent on de-industrializing Europe for its long-haul recovery.’
Logan decried Trump’s oil sanctions as an ineffective long-term solution.
‘Oil sanctions from Trump would be as ineffective as oil sanctions from Biden. This is because they are inherently leaky,’ he explained.
One popular Russian tabloid, Moskovsky Komsomolets, described the Trump and Putin relationship as locomotives speeding toward each other without a plan to stop or reverse.
The Moscow daily newspaper adds that Trump’s attempts to end the war on his watch have been a ‘dismal failure’ and that ‘Trump received from Putin – albeit extremely politely and stretched out in time – a total slap down.’
‘This is a medical fact that cannot be hidden or obscured. The US leader looks like a loser,’ the report reads.
The Daily Mail reached out to Witkoff’s team, the White House and the State Department for comment on the Russian Newspaper’s editorial.