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

President Vladimir Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by Donald Trump's threats of tougher sanctions, and his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance,

Despite President Trump’s 50-day ultimatum and the threat of severe secondary sanctions, Vladimir Putin remains defiant, vowing to continue the war in Ukraine “until he gets what he wants.” -According to a recent Reuters report citing Kremlin sources,

It is believed that Russia has been unable to secure more than one percent of additional territory from Ukraine since early 2024, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio citing that Russian forces have suffered the loss of over 100,000 troops in the first half of 2025 alone.

On Monday, Trump said that Russia's failure to reach a negotiated settlement with Ukraine within 50 days would lead to his administration imposing a 100% tariff rate on Russian imports as well as what he called "secondary tariffs" on countries that have continued to do business with Moscow.

New developments Tuesday reinforced the idea that President Donald Trump has significantly shifted his view of the Ukraine war.

Former Ukraine aid critics now back Trump's strategy requiring European funding for weapons to Kyiv after the president pivoted his frustration from Zelenskyy to Putin.

Sitting in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and apparently fed up with being slow-walked by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump threatened the Kremlin with tough tariffs if it doesn't make a deal to end the war within 50 days. But perhaps more important was Trump's shift on weapons.