US President Donald Trump said on Sunday, the 25th of May, that he was “not happy” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and called him “absolutely crazy” after Moscow’s biggest air strike yet on Ukraine. At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in Ukraine overnight on Sunday after Russia fired 367 drones and missiles, according to the British broadcaster BBC.
“This was a combined, brutal strike targeting civilians. The enemy has once again shown that its target is fear and death,” Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram about the attack.
Air raid sirens warning of drones and missiles sounded again in many regions of Ukraine on Monday morning and at least five people were injured.
“What the hell happened to him? He’s killing a lot of people,” Trump said in a rare rebuke directed at Putin.
“I have known him for a long time, I have always got along with him, but he is sending missiles into cities and killing people and I don’t like that at all. We’re in the middle of negotiations, but he’s firing missiles into Kyiv and other cities,” Trump said speaking to reporters in New Jersey late Sunday night.
Asked whether he was considering increasing US sanctions against Russia, Trump replied: “Absolutely.” The US President has threatened to do so on several occasions in the past, but has not yet imposed any restrictions on Moscow.
SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, TRUMP WROTE IN A POST ON THE TRUTH SOCIAL THAT PUTIN “IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY”.
“I have always said that he wants the whole of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe this is proving true, but if he does it will lead to the collapse of Russia!”.
But the US President also had harsh words for Zelenskyy, saying that he was “not doing his country any good by talking the way he does”.
“Everything that comes out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it and it better stop,” Trump wrote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said Washington’s “silence” on recent Russian attacks was encouraging Putin and called for “strong pressure”, including tougher sanctions against Moscow.
Despite the fact that Kyiv’s allies in Europe are preparing to impose additional sanctions on Russia, the US has said it will either continue to try to mediate these peace talks or “back down” if no progress is made.
Last week, Trump and Putin had a two-hour phone call to discuss the US-proposed agreement on a 30-day ceasefire. The US president said he thought the call went “very well”, adding that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately begin” talks on a ceasefire and an “end to the war”.
Ukraine has publicly agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. Meanwhile, Putin has only said that Russia will work with Ukraine to draw up a “memorandum” on “possible future peace”, which Kyiv and its European allies describe as a delaying tactic.
The first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 took place on the 16th of May in Istanbul, Turkey.
Apart from last week’s major prisoner of war exchange, there was little progress towards a cessation of hostilities.