OPINION
Despite tough talk on Russia and promises of new weapons for Ukraine, Trump’s vague timeline and lack of details spark skepticism, while the Kremlin signals satisfaction.
by Michael Bociurkiw
July 15, 2025
Kyiv Post
US President Donald Trump declared he is “very, very unhappy” with Russia and pledged to deliver “top-of-the-line” weapons to Ukraine through NATO. He also announced a potential 100% secondary tariff regime on countries that help Moscow circumvent sanctions – but only if a ceasefire deal is not reached within 50 days. The announcement came during a White House meeting on Monday, July 14, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to the BBC.
But beyond the rhetoric, the proposal lacked detail – no funding figures, no timeline for weapons deliveries, and no firm commitments. What raised further concern was the head-scratching 50-day grace period Trump is offering Vladimir Putin, especially in light of reports that Putin recently told Trump he needed 60 days to complete a major military escalation in Ukraine’s east. According to Axios, Putin said he planned to intensify operations to seize full control of the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions: Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
The BBC’s Frank Gardner noted that at the current rate of fire, Russia could launch up to 25,000 more drones and missiles at Ukraine during that window.
There were other tough options that were conspicuously absent. For instance, Trump could have moved to unfreeze the $8 billion in Russian Central Bank assets held in the United States and transfer them to Ukraine – a step that would have pressured European allies to act on the €180-190 billion they are still holding. He could have also granted Ukraine the authority to buy American weapons on credit or through direct loans. None of these actions were mentioned.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas cautiously welcomed the tougher tone but warned: “Fifty days is a very long time – especially when innocent civilians are dying every single day.”
The Guardian’s Dan Sabbagh wrote: “In crude terms, any military package exceeding $10 billion would send a strong message to Moscow, especially when compared to the $67 billion previously delivered under President Biden.”
Meanwhile, in Moscow, where officials had anticipated a more forceful pivot, the reaction was jubilant. The Moscow Stock Exchange surged to 2,700 points, and pro-Kremlin media gleefully dismissed Trump’s threats. “He has seven Fridays in a week,” one pro-war blogger scoffed, referencing a Russian idiom implying Trump is capricious and unreliable. “He could change his ‘opinion’ several times in the next 50 days.”
Michael Bociurkiw is a global affairs analyst and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. He wrote this analysis from Bangkok, Thailand. Follow his work and subscribe to his daily World Briefing at WorldBriefing.Substack.com