US President Donald Trump’s 50-day pause ahead of possible secondary sanctions on Russia gifts the Kremlin a window to exploit the incremental gains of recent weeks in Ukraine’s east.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says Republicans will vote on a Russia sanctions bill once Trump approves it, as pressure mounts on Moscow to negotiate peace in Ukraine.

"We are very unhappy, I am, with Russia," President Trump said while in a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

President Trump has effectively handed Vladimir Putin an extraordinary green light: 50 days to finish off his brutal summer offensive in Ukraine before facing any consequences.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, described Trump's statement as "very serious" during his daily press briefing on Tuesday, July 15. Peskov said Putin would need time to analyze Trump's remarks, some of which were directed at him, and to decide whether to comment.

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not ready for compromises” to end his brutal war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Post in an exclusive interview on Wednesday — but President Trump has the power to bring him to his knees by speeding up tough sanctions that could cause a “social explosion” in Russia.

Donald Trump’s remarks on Ukraine on Monday were far from the biggest announcement the US president could have made.

Putin ally warns Moscow will launch preventative strikes against the west ‘if necessary’ - Russian air defence units destroyed 122 Ukrainian drones overnight that targeted the capital Moscow, official