Washington: US President Donald Trump issued some of his strongest criticism yet of Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him “absolutely crazy” as Russia continued its relentless assault on Ukrainian cities for a third consecutive night.
In a social media post late Sunday, Trump wrote, “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!”
Condemning the recent wave of drone and missile strikes, Trump accused Putin of “needlessly killing a lot of people,” adding that missiles and drones are “being shot into cities in Ukraine for no reason whatsoever.”
According to Ukrainian officials, the latest bombardment marked the largest aerial attack since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, leaving at least 12 dead and dozens more injured.
Trump also warned that if Putin’s goal is to conquer all of Ukraine, it could ultimately lead to “the downfall of Russia.”
However, the former president did not spare Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from criticism, accusing him of making inflammatory remarks.
“Everything out of his mouth causes problems. I don’t like it, and it better stop,” Trump said.
Throughout his campaign for re-election, Trump has repeatedly claimed that he could quickly broker peace and bring an end to the war.
Although he has long touted a cordial relationship with Putin, he has recently shown growing impatience with the Russian leader’s actions.
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump said, “I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. He’s killing a lot of people. And I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin. I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people — and I don’t like it at all.”
Despite his increasingly critical tone, Trump has not taken concrete steps toward implementing harsher penalties on Russia, though he has hinted at stronger sanctions and tariffs.
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A peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine remains distant. Last week, Trump and Putin reportedly held a phone conversation, after which Trump claimed that both sides would “immediately” begin ceasefire talks.
This came shortly after Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Turkey for their first direct dialogue since 2022. However, the Kremlin has since denied that any new negotiations are scheduled.
Meanwhile, the European Union has imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Moscow this month in response to Putin’s ongoing military aggression and rejection of a ceasefire agreement.
