The U.S. president claims his leadership has spared Russia from “really bad things” and accuses the Kremlin of escalating dangerously.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump issued a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin on Sunday, declaring that his leadership has prevented catastrophic outcomes for Russia and accusing the Kremlin of crossing a dangerous line with its continued bombardment of Ukraine.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, really bad things — and I mean REALLY BAD — would have already happened to Russia. He’s playing with fire!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The comment comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions, as fragile negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow falter and Russian forces intensify aerial assaults across Ukraine.
Earlier, Trump told reporters in New Jersey that he was “absolutely” considering new sanctions against Russia as Moscow’s deadly missile and drone campaign stretched into a third consecutive night. Speaking before boarding Air Force One, Trump appeared visibly frustrated with Putin and the stalled negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire.
“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing,” Trump said before the latest wave of strikes. “He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell has happened to him. I’ve known him a long time, we’ve always gotten along, but he’s firing rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it one bit.” Later on Truth Social, Trump added that Putin “has gone completely CRAZY!”
“I’ve always said he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just part, and maybe that’s proving true — but if he does, it will lead to Russia’s downfall!” Trump wrote after returning to Washington. So far, the U.S. president has not succeeded in bringing Putin to the negotiating table. The self-imposed deadline Trump set to end the conflict within the first 100 days of his term has already passed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Trump fears Russia may walk away from peace talks if Washington threatens more sanctions.
However, Senate Republicans last week signaled they are ready to push forward with new economic sanctions if Putin refuses to engage in truce talks or breaks any future deal. A draft bill reportedly includes a 500% tariff on imports from countries purchasing oil, petroleum products, natural gas, or uranium from Russia, according to Bloomberg News.
On the ground, Russia’s missile and drone attacks continued for a third straight night, striking the capital Kyiv and other regions, damaging homes and local facilities, according to Ukrainian officials posting on Telegram.
Andriy Yermak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Telegram that “Moscow is delaying even the discussion of proposals, offering no details, just wasting time.” Ukrainian authorities said at least 12 people were killed in the previous night’s Russian air raids, prompting Zelensky to renew his call for more sanctions. “The only way to make Moscow move faster is through sanctions and weapons,” Yermak stated.
The attacks coincided with the third day of prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking at the airport, Trump repeatedly questioned “what’s wrong” with Putin. “We’re in the middle of talks, and he’s firing rockets at Kyiv and other cities,” Trump said. “I don’t like it one bit.” He also blamed Zelensky, along with Putin and former U.S. President Joe Biden, for the war.
“President Zelensky is doing his country no favors by talking the way he does,” Trump said in his Truth Social post. “Everything that comes out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and he better stop.”
On Monday, Russia claimed to have repelled 96 drones overnight, some targeting Moscow and causing flight disruptions at major airports near the Russian capital. Last week, Ukraine launched near-continuous drone attacks on central Russia, marking a shift from previous patterns of primarily nighttime assaults.
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