Trump shortens Putin ceasefire deadline to 10 days, then hosts summit

In early July 2025, Trump set a 50-day deadline for Putin to agree to a Ukraine ceasefire or face secondary sanctions. He threatened tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries doing business with Russia. China and India are the main consumers of Russian energy.

On Jul. 28, 2025, Trump shortened the deadline from 50 days to 'about 10 to 12 days.' He set the final deadline as Aug. 8, 2025. The compressed timeline came as Russia continued capturing Ukrainian territory daily.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow for 'last chance' talks ahead of the deadline. Witkoff, a Trump ally and real estate developer, conducted shuttle diplomacy without traditional diplomatic experience.

When the Aug. 8 deadline arrived, Trump didn't impose sanctions. Instead, he announced a summit with Putin in 🐻Alaska for Aug. 15, 2025. It was the first time Putin had been invited to a Western country since launching the Ukraine invasion in February 2022.

Putin maintained demands for control of four Ukrainian oblasts (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson) plus military limitations before any ceasefire. Russia ignored Trump's ultimatum while continuing its territorial conquest.

Former Russian President DMDmitry Medvedev, now Security Council Deputy Chair, warned that ultimatums are 'a threat and a step towards war.' His statement signaled Russia's rejection of deadline pressure tactics.

After the 🐻Alaska summit, Trump said there was no need for a ceasefire before a peace agreement. He suggested Ukraine should give up the entire Donbas region (Russia controlled 88% at the time) to end the war.

The Wall Street Journal commented that Putin had 'ended his isolation in the West, made no public concessions, and can continue killing Ukrainians without further sanction.' On Aug. 18, Zelenskyy met with Trump and European leaders at the White House to discuss summit aftermath.