In a surprising shift, President Donald Trump declared, “I’m on nobody’s side,” describing himself instead as being “on humanity’s side,” as he urged an immediate end to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump criticised both Vladimir Putin and President Zelenskyy, highlighting how Putin “talks beautifully and then bombs people at night,” and emphasised that Ukraine “should not target Moscow,” contradicting earlier reports from the Financial Times. His approach is one of cautious diplomacy. Over the past six months, Trump attempted to entice Putin into peace talks, though so far without lasting success.

Arguably the most significant part of his announcement was the 50-day ultimatum: if Russia does not commit to a ceasefire within that time frame, the U.S. will impose sweeping secondary sanctions potentially covering oil, gas, and trade partners. He reiterated that some Patriot missile systems would be sent to NATO allies, aiming to shore up Ukraine's defenses through allied channels.

While Europeans have welcomed this harder stance, they’re urging the U.S. to “share the burden” of military and economic support. For Trump, this pivot represents a departure from previous rhetoric and a more decisive posture toward Russia, though critics say details on enforcement and actual negotiations remain vague.

Whether his neutrality rhetoric or the looming sanctions will convince Moscow to accept peace is uncertain. But one thing is clear: Trump wants to be framed not as a backer of any side, but as someone trying to halt the bloodshed and reposition America as a decisive, humanitarian actor if only for the next fifty days.