London – This week he marked a possible axis of President Donald Trump about the ongoing invasion of a large scale of Ukraine of Russia, with his announcement on Monday of a “big” problem to provide kyiv new weapons and threats to impose more sanctions on Russia if you cannot agree on a fire in the fire within 50 days.
Although Trump’s decision was welcomed by leaders in kyiv, the Ukrainians and their supporters abroad also expressed concern that the 50 -day window can offer Russian President Vladimir Putin the opportunity to intensify their long -range attacks against Ukrainian cities and the offensive of the first summer line in progress.
Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament that represents the Zelenskyy party and the president of the Body Foreign Affairs Committee, told ABC News that it was “cautiously optimistic”, with the hope that Trump’s announcement can indicate a new campaign of “maximum pressure” in Putin.
“However, the deadline of 50 days is of a certain concern, because Putin could take it as a green light to intensify offensive operations,” he said.
Russian attacks during the two nights since Trump’s announcement suggests that Moscow remains without moving.
A Ukrainian military is shown in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on July 2, 2025.
Ukrainian Armed Forces/Via Reuters
On Monday night and Tuesday night they saw a cumulative attack 667 and drones lure of various types, plus a missile, thrown into Ukraine by Russia, according to figures published by the Ukraine Air Force and analyzed by ABC News.
The previous 50 days before Trump’s announcement saw a total of 9,618 drones and 349 missiles thrown into Ukraine, an average of about 192 drones and seven missiles every day.
The Russian long -range strike pattern suggests that the next 50 days could be even more difficult for Ukrainians. Since May, the scale of Russian attacks has constantly increased despite Trump’s efforts to force fire and eventual peace agreement.
In May, Russia launched a total of 3,835 drones and 117 missiles, for an average of about 124 drones and almost four missiles every day.
June saw 5,438 drones and 239 missiles fired to Ukraine, with a daily average of 181 drones and almost eight missiles.
Already in the first half of July, Ukraine reported that it faces 4,003 drones and 89 missiles, for a daily average of 250 drones and more than five missiles.
“Russia is not changing its strategy,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram after Tuesday night attacks, in which the president said at least 16 people were injured.
“To effectively counteract this terror, we need a systematic strengthening of defense: more air defense, more interceptors, more determination for Russia to feel our response,” he added.
Ukraine says that many of these Russian drones have been aimed at non -military objectives, including residential areas and municipal centers in Ukraine. Russia has maintained that it is aimed at military and infrastructural sites.
Trump defended his decision to give Moscow 50 days to act, telling White House journalists on Tuesday: “I don’t think it’s a long time. I think you really should ask the question, why did you do it? [former President Joe] Biden takes us to that ridiculous war? Why did Biden bring us there? “
A resident removes the glass from a broken window of his damaged apartment during the Russian strike in Lviv, Ukraine, on July 12, 2025.
Stringer/Reuters
When asked why he believes that Putin’s opinion will change in 50 days, Trump said, “many opinions change very quickly.” He added: “There may not be 50 days, it could be long before 50 days.”
But Russian officials gave a cold response to Trump’s announcement on Tuesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “Trump’s statements are very serious”, telling journalists in a daily informative session: “Some of them personally go to President Putin. We definitely need time to analyze what was said in Washington.”
The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Ryabkov, meanwhile, told the State News Agency Tass that making any demand for Russia is “unacceptable” and that Kremlin’s position is “unwavering.”
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that Trump is “under enormous EU pressure and current EU and NATO leadership.”
Responding directly to Trump’s timeline, Lavrov said Moscow wants to “understand what this 50 -day reference means. There were previous 24 -hour mentions, then 100 days. We have seen this pattern before and we really want to understand the reasoning of the president of the United States.”
As for the threat of new rates or sanctions, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said: “We are already dealing with a number of sanctions and well unprecedented. I have no doubt that we will also handle these new measures.”
Perhaps the majority of the directs were Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and prime minister who now served as vice president of the country’s security council, who wrote on social networks that the Kremlin is not moved by the “theatrical ultimatum” of Trump.
“The world shuddered, waiting for the consequences,” said Medvedev, who, during the large -scale war of Moscow in Ukraine, has become known as a particularly aggressive voice within the Putin security establishment. “Beligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.”
Hannah Demissie of ABC News contributed to this report.
