Diplomatic Ultimatum

President Donald Trump's two-week ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine marks a dramatic and risky turn in US foreign policy.

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By signaling that the United States may change its approach if Moscow continues to delay peace efforts, President Trump is attempting to reassert leverage in a conflict that has defied resolution for years. But the question remains: does the US still have meaningful leverage left, or has the window for shaping a just peace already narrowed too far? Mr Trump's blunt rhetoric – accusing Mr Putin of "playing with fire" and warning of a shift in response – reflects mounting frustration as the war has entered its fourth year with no clear end in sight. His recent phone diplomacy with the Russian President yielded vague promises of a peace memorandum, yet no document has emerged. Instead, what followed was one of the most intense waves of Russian airstrikes since the invasion began, with deadly consequences for Ukrainian civilians. The US President's approach appears to hinge on personal diplomacy, a style that has defined much of his foreign policy. While Mr Trump has not hesitated to speak harshly of Mr Putin in recent days, the administration's broader strategy has leaned toward pressuring Ukraine to come to the table rather than imposing fresh costs on Moscow. Military assistance to Kyiv was temporarily suspended earlier this year, and demands on Russia have been relatively muted. Critics argue that this creates an uneven playing field, in which Russia is emboldened while Ukraine is left exposed. Indeed, Moscow has used the resumption of dialogue with Washington to escalate its demands – calling not just for recognition of Crimea but also for Ukraine to surrender territories it doesn't even currently occupy. These are clearly non-starters for Kyiv, and likely designed to derail meaningful negotiations while shifting blame. Both Ukraine and Russia are locked in maximalist positions, but peace will only come through realism. Washington must help broker t