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US President Donald Trump launched a rare and scathing attack on Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Sunday, describing him as “crazy” and warning that any attempt to conquer Ukraine fully would spell Russia’s ruin.
Trump’s remarks came after a wave of Russian drone strikes killed at least 13 civilians across Ukraine, despite ongoing US efforts to secure a ceasefire and a recent prisoner exchange between the two countries.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated, “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone CRAZY!”
He added that Putin’s long-held ambition to seize the entirety of Ukraine “will lead to the downfall of Russia.”
The unusually harsh criticism of the Kremlin strongman was tempered, however, by fresh attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Trump accused of worsening the situation with his rhetoric.
“He’s doing his country no favours by the way he talks. Everything he says causes problems,” Trump claimed. “I don’t like it, and it better stop.”
Speaking separately to journalists before boarding Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Trump reiterated his discomfort with recent Russian aggression.
“I’ve known him [Putin] a long time, and we’ve always got along. But now he’s firing rockets into cities and killing people — I don’t like it one bit,” he said.
Trump’s comments come during growing calls from European allies and even some Republicans to take a tougher stance against Moscow. Although the president has so far refrained from delivering an ultimatum, he warned he could abandon peace talks if no progress is made.
Pressed by reporters in Morristown, Trump said he was “absolutely” considering new sanctions on Russia in response to the drone attacks. “He’s killing a lot of people. I don’t know what’s wrong with him — what the hell happened to him?” he said.
These remarks appear to contradict recent testimony from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told Congress that Trump believed threatening sanctions at this stage could halt negotiations with Russia.
Earlier in the week, Trump held a two-hour phone call with Putin, after which he claimed that both sides had agreed to begin immediate ceasefire discussions. However, the Kremlin has yet to confirm this, instead offering only a vague commitment to draft a “memorandum” outlining its conditions for peace.
