Ukraine war: is Trump losing patience with Putin?
US President Donald Trump has shortened the deadline in the ultimatum he issued to Russia for it to end its war against Ukraine. Instead of the 50-day deadline he set in mid-July he has given Russian President Vladimir Putin just ten or twelve days to agree to a ceasefire. After that, Russia's trading partners may face tariffs of up to 100 percent. Commentators take a closer look at the two leaders' tactics.
A dangerous miscalculation for the Kremlin
The Russian president has underestimated his US counterpart's resolve, The Daily Telegraph concludes:
“Putin's determination to call Trump's bluff is a dangerous miscalculation. He appears to have predicted that Trump would withdraw military support for Ukraine upon taking office and hand Russia a blank cheque for further aggression, but these assumptions were mistaken. … Trump has lost patience with Russia's stalling tactics and obstructionism. The consequences of this change of heart could ensure Putin regrets playing Trump.”
US president feels duped
Trump and Putin simply don't understand each other, La Stampa explains:
“As a businessman, Trump can't comprehend that a country would allow itself to be driven into poverty and isolation. ... For his part Putin, a KGB agent who grew up in a world in which money was worthless, can't understand why anyone would make compromises when it comes to power: for him, it is power that creates wealth, never the other way round. Putin interpreted the concessions offered by the 'master of the deal' as weakness: instead of signalling a willingness to compromise he upped the stakes. ... Now Trump feels that Putin has deceived him and will hardly forgive him for slighting his 'art of the deal'. After six months it's back to square one.”
Nothing has happened yet
Radio Kommersant sees nothing new here:
“This is not the first time the White House boss has threatened Russia with a 'deadline'. But the rhetoric is becoming increasingly harsh and concrete consequences are emerging. Let us not forget that Trump has a tendency to 'backtrack' and change his stance. ... The American president has, as he freely admits, given in several times and effectively withdrawn his main demand for an immediate ceasefire. But now he is ready to up the pressure. However, nothing has happened yet. And perhaps nothing will.”