On Saturday, US President Donald Trump stated that negotiations for peace in Ukraine are going well, but "there comes a time when you either have to act or be quiet".
Source: Trump aboard Air Force One, quoted by Reuters
Correction: In the original news piece, Trump's phrase "put up or shut up" was translated as "either put up with it or be silent". The actual meaning is that a person should back up their words with actions or stop talking.
Details: The publication notes that Trump made this comment to reporters a day after expressing frustration with Russia and urging it to "move" towards an agreement.
Trump's direct quote: "I think the relationship between Ukraine and Russia can develop well, and you will find out about it very soon".
"There comes a time when you just have to either act or be quiet, and we will see what happens, but I believe that things are going well".
Details: On Friday, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding the "aspects of the Ukrainian settlement".
The negotiations took place as the US-Russian dialogue aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement prior to a possible peace deal seems to have stalled due to disagreements over the conditions for a full cessation of hostilities.
In Reuters' words: "Trump has shown signs of losing patience and spoke about imposing secondary sanctions against countries purchasing Russian oil if he feels that Moscow is stalling on the agreement".
Note: The Cambridge Dictionary explains the idiom used by Trump, "put up or shut up". When someone is advised to "put up or shut up", it means they must either take action to fulfill what they have been discussing or stop talking about it.
What preceded: Trump has urged the Russian Federation to take steps to end the full-scale war it has waged against Ukraine.
Background:
The US President, who promised to swiftly end the conflict in Ukraine, has recently expressed increasing dissatisfaction with Moscow's actions.
He specifically mentioned feeling "angry" after Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin questioned the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelensky and was outraged by Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Meanwhile, media reports indicated that senior officials in the Trump administration began to recognize that the US might not achieve a peace deal regarding Ukraine in the coming months due to additional conditions set forth by the Russian side during negotiations.