U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (September 18, 2025) said it was not yet time to call for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, signalling he may push for a tougher approach “at the right time.”
Reporters asked U.S. President aboard Air Force One if a ceasefire was due, given it had been a month since his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Doesn’t feel like it,” Mr. Trump replied. “But at the right time, if I have to do it, it’ll be harsh.”
The remark reflected both caution and a hint of escalation. Mr. Trump has previously described his meetings with Mr. Putin as productive but has also criticised NATO allies for purchasing Russian oil while urging the U.S. to bear the burden of defence.
He reiterated that European states must cut their reliance on Moscow. “We’re supposed to do all this stuff and they’re buying oil from Russia. That’s not good,” Mr. Trump said, recounting his discussion with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “He said that’s not good. I mean, I appreciated that he said that.”
Mr. Trump acknowledged that London had pledged to impose sanctions, though he stressed that Washington was still weighing its next moves. “He said he would do sanctions, yes,” Mr. Trump noted. “And he’s not one of the culprits in terms of the oil.”
The President has consistently presented himself as a hardliner on energy dependence, calling Europe’s reliance on Russian oil a strategic liability. “How about that? We’re supposed to do all this stuff and they’re buying oil from Russia,” he said.
Pressed on the timing of peace talks, Mr. Trump left the door open but insisted conditions were not yet right. “Doesn’t feel like it,” he said of a ceasefire. “At the right time … it’ll be harsh.”
