Trump answers whether the ultimatum to Putin is still in effect: It's up to him

President of the United States Donald Trump when asked whether his ultimatum to the dictator Vladimir Putin remains in force said that "it will be up to him". The US president said this during a conversation with journalists at the White House, which broadcast Fox News channel.

The journalist asked whether his deadline for Putin was still in force, according to which Russia must agree to a ceasefire by August 8, otherwise secondary duties will be imposed.

"It will depend on him. We'll see what he says. It will be up to him. Very disappointed (Probably, he's talking about himself – Ed.)," Trump replied.

Also, the head of the United States denied the information that Putin should meet with the president Volodymyr Zelenskyy before negotiating with him.

"They [Zelenskyy and Putin] would like to meet with me, and I will do everything in my power to stop the killing. So, last month they lost 14,000 people. Every week, 4000-5000 people are killed. So, I don't like to wait too long. I think it's a shame. And they [the dead] are mostly Ukrainian and Russian soldiers. And also some people from [Ukrainian] cities, where, as you know, missiles are launched, and 35-40 people die overnight, which is terrible. But no, for the most part [the dead] are soldiers... 20,000 people [on average] die every month, young people, mostly young people, soldiers. We're going to talk about soldiers," Trump said.

• On August 7, security advisors from Ukraine and its partners held a conversation about ending the war, and they will continue to work the next day. According to Axios and Suspilne sources, during the call, special envoy Witkoff briefed officials on his conversation with Putin the day before.
• Against the backdrop of the meeting between the Russian dictator and Witkoff, Trump signed an executive order imposing penalties on India for purchasing Russian oil: the United States imposes a 25% duty on all goods from this country in addition to existing tariffs and fees, the decision takes effect in 21 days. The White House told Reuters reported that this tariff will be combined with the previous one and India will pay a 50% duty in total.
• In response, India criticized these additional duties and promised to protect its interests.