Trump’s remarks, made on his Truth Social platform late on Sunday, represent an unusual rebuke of Putin.
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” wrote the US president.
“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” he added.
These statements come in the wake of Ukraine’s Air Force reporting that Russia launched a record number of drones and missiles against Ukraine overnight on Sunday, with 298 drones and 69 missiles deployed. However, Ukraine’s forces managed to shoot down 266 drones and 45 missiles.
Although this Russian attack was the largest in terms of weaponry used, previous strikes have claimed more lives.
Ukraine’s emergency services described a nationwide atmosphere of “terror” on Sunday, with regional officials noting that the victims included children aged eight, 12, and 17 in the northwestern region of Zhytomyr. More than 60 people were also injured.
“Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media.
“The silence of America, the silence of others around the world only encourages Putin,” he continued, “Sanctions will certainly help.”
Sanctions
Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Putin and the protracted nature of a conflict now in its third year, a situation he had promised to resolve quickly upon returning to the White House.
He had often emphasized his amicable relationship with Putin and believed Russia was more willing than Ukraine to agree to peace.
However, on Sunday, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with Putin’s actions. “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,” he told reporters.
“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.” When asked if he was considering additional sanctions against Russia, Trump responded with “Absolutely.”
In his social media post, Trump also criticized Zelenskyy, accusing him of not doing his country any favors with his communication style.
“Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop,” Trump stated.
Europe Condemns Russia
A peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine remains elusive, despite a recent two-hour phone call between Trump and Putin, where Trump stated that Moscow and Kyiv would “immediately start negotiations towards a ceasefire.” Putin, however, did not commit to halting his invasion and only proposed working on a “memorandum” detailing Moscow’s peace demands.
The Russian attack on Ukraine also incited criticism from Europe, with the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, calling for “the strongest international pressure on Russia to stop this war,” noting the devastating impact on children among the victims.
German Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul also denounced the attacks, emphasizing that Putin does not seek peace but continues the war and that further European sanctions will be implemented.
The extensive attacks on Ukraine coincided with Russia and Ukraine exchanging 303 prisoners of war each, marking the largest prisoner exchange since the onset of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
