President Donald Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin after a major aerial assault in Russia's war on Ukraine. Speaking to reporters and posting on Truth Social, Trump condemned the attack and implied that Putin was no longer acting sensibly.
What Happened: After Russian forces launched what officials called the largest airstrike in the three-year conflict, Trump told reporters, "I'm not happy with what Putin is doing. He's killing a lot of people, and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin," according to CNN.
He later posted, "He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people… Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever."
The overnight attack killed at least a dozen people, including children, and left many more injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “America's silence” emboldened Putin, adding, "This cannot be ignored."
Trump also criticized Zelensky, as he has before, in his social media post, stating: "Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does… Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop."
Why It Matters: The latest assault by Moscow comes amid paused ceasefire talks and increasing pressure on Russia to end the war. Trump, who was previously reluctant to impose more sanctions, said Sunday that he is now "absolutely" considering stricter penalties on Moscow.
Despite previously highlighting his "very good relationship" with Putin, Trump indicated that the attack took him by surprise, especially as he had spoken with the Russian President just a few days ago. "We're in the middle of talking, and he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities," he said.
In the wake of the latest attack, Trump is pushing for immediate peace talks, saying, "Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War."
He stressed that only the two nations involved can arrive at a viable agreement, observing, "they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of."
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