Trump: Giving Putin "a Few More Weeks"

　　According to a report by CNN on August 22, after urging Russian leaders to meet with the Ukrainian president in hopes of ending the war, U.S. President Trump said on the 22nd that he would give Russian President Putin "a few more weeks," further extending his deadline for potential consequences against Moscow.

　　When asked whether he might do nothing if Putin refuses to participate in negotiations, Trump said, "I will see whose fault it is."

　　He said, "If there is a reason, I will understand; I know very well what I am doing. We will see if they hold a meeting. It is worth watching. If they don’t, why didn’t they? Because I told them to hold a meeting."

　　Trump added, "But I will know what I am going to do in two weeks." He reiterated his repeatedly mentioned timeline for determining Putin’s willingness to end the war in Ukraine.

　　His latest remarks came amid stalled momentum in peace talks, with no signs that the bilateral meeting pushed by the White House is underway. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier on the 22nd that there are no plans for a meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.

　　Trump met with Putin in Alaska last week and hosted Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders at the White House earlier this week. He hopes that Russia and Ukraine will hold a bilateral meeting, and he may later participate in a trilateral meeting.