Trump lashes out at ‘crazy’ Putin after deadly Russian air raids on Ukraine

 

Trump Signals Possible Sanctions as Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him “absolutely crazy” following Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began. The barrage killed at least 13 people and injured more than 60, according to Ukrainian officials.

Trump’s remarks, posted Sunday night on his Truth Social platform, represented a rare and pointed rebuke of Putin. Ukrainian emergency services described widespread fear during the attacks, which claimed the lives of several children in the Zhytomyr region, including victims aged 8, 12, and 17.

“Without real and forceful pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality will continue,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “America’s silence, and that of others, only encourages Putin. Sanctions would help.”

Trump, who has repeatedly promised to quickly end the conflict if re-elected, has grown increasingly frustrated with the war’s continuation. Although he has often highlighted his past rapport with Putin and argued that Russia is more open to peace than Ukraine, his tone shifted over the weekend.

“I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. He’s killing a lot of people. I don’t know what the hell happened to him,” Trump told reporters in New Jersey. “I’ve known him for years, always got along with him, but now he’s firing rockets at cities and killing civilians. I don’t like it.”

When asked whether his administration would consider imposing further sanctions on Russia, Trump responded, “Absolutely.”

Trump also took aim at Zelenskyy, a frequent target of his criticism, accusing the Ukrainian leader of inflaming tensions. “He’s not helping his country with the way he talks,” Trump said on social media. “Everything he says just makes things worse. It needs to stop.”

European Leaders Condemn Russian Strikes

Efforts to secure peace remain stalled. Although Trump and Putin held a two-hour phone call last week and Trump claimed both sides would soon begin ceasefire talks, no concrete progress has followed. Putin offered only a vague proposal to draft a “memorandum” outlining Moscow’s demands.

Russian and Ukrainian officials had previously met in Türkiye for the first direct talks since 2022, but the Kremlin said on Thursday that no further meetings are currently planned.

The recent escalation drew swift condemnation across Europe. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged stronger global pressure on Moscow. In a post on X, she wrote, “These attacks prove again that Russia seeks only destruction. It’s heartbreaking to see children among the victims.”

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul echoed the criticism, saying, “Putin does not want peace — he wants to prolong the war. We must not let that happen.” He added that the EU would move to approve additional sanctions.

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine confirmed the exchange of 303 prisoners on each side — the final stage of a broader prisoner swap agreed to in Istanbul on May 16. The swap marks the largest such exchange since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with each side returning a total of 1,000 prisoners.