U.S. President Donald Trump said he will decide within roughly two weeks whether to impose sweeping economic sanctions on Russia, warning that Moscow faces what he called an “economic war” if fighting in Ukraine continues. Trump told reporters on 22 Aug. that he would give Russian President Vladimir Putin “a couple of weeks” to demonstrate progress toward peace, including agreeing to a face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Failing that, he said he could “go one way or the other” and hinted at “massive” penalties. Speaking later at a Cabinet meeting, the president said the measures under consideration include severe financial sanctions and “very strong” tariffs, stressing that they would be aimed at forcing a cease-fire rather than escalating the conflict militarily. “It will not be a world war, but it’ll be an economic war, and that’s going to be bad for Russia,” he said. The ultimatum follows Trump’s 15 Aug. summit with Putin in Anchorage, which the White House hoped would pave the way for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskiy. While Kyiv has signaled readiness for such a meeting, the Kremlin has not confirmed it, leaving the prospect of negotiations—and Trump’s threatened economic measures—hanging on the two-week timetable.