US President Donald Trump has said he will slash the 50-day deadline he gave for Russia’s Vladimir Putin to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine by weeks, to just “10 or 12 days” from now.

Ukraine on Wednesday proposed direct talks within weeks between its President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin, but Moscow tempered prospects for progress at a fresh round of talks in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed Russia would prefer to resolve the conflict through dialogue, but said military operations continue because "opponents rejected the path of negotiations."

President Trump pressures Putin to halt Ukraine war within 10-12 days, threatening sanctions as Russia launches massive drone and missile attacks.

US President Donald Trump says he will give Russia 10 to 12 days to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, slashing the 50-day deadline he initially floated.

As Trump demands a deal to end the Ukraine war in 50 days, Russia's deputy foreign minister says "demands, especially ultimatums, are unacceptable."

TURNBERRY, Scotland, July 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine or face consequences, underscoring frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the 3-1/2-year-old conflict.

US President Donald Trump has said he has set a new deadline of "about 10 or 12 days" for Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

MICHAEL KIMMAGE is Professor of History at the Catholic University of America. He is the author of Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability.

President Vladimir Putin believes Russia's economy and its military are strong enough to weather any additional Western measures, sources said.

Part of the agreement involves a commitment to buy American oil and gas. Over the course of the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, most of the EU has slashed its dependence on unreliable energy supplies from Russia, but Hungary and Slovakia still have not.