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President Trump has once again criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, one day after the Kremlin alluded that Trump’s previous condemnation of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine was the result of an “emotional overload.”
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, over the weekend President Trump came out swinging against Russian President Vladimir Putin following one of the most intense bombardments of Ukraine since the war began. Speaking to reporters 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… he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all.” His remarks came in response to Russia launching large-scale missile and drone strikes across more than two dozen Ukrainian cities, killing at least 13 civilians. On Truth Social, Trump added that Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY” and was “needlessly killing a lot of people… and I’m not just talking about soldiers.” In response, the Kremlin defended the strikes as military operations aimed at “strategic infrastructure” and dismissed Trump’s outburst as a product of “emotional overload” during what it called a “very important moment” in ongoing negotiation efforts.
What’s going on now: In a fiery new statement posted to Truth Social, President Trump doubled down on his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!”
The remarks have fueled renewed pressure from both European leaders and American lawmakers for Trump to take a more aggressive stand against Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron urged Trump to convert his frustration into concrete action, saying, “I hope President Trump’s anger turns into pressure and sanctions. These strikes show Putin has lied to all of us.”
US Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) echoed this sentiment, posting on X: “I believe President Trump was sincere when he thought his friendship with Putin would end the war. Now that being the case ITS TIME FOR SANCTIONS STRONG ENOUGH SO PUTIN KNOWS ‘game over.”
This comes as a bipartisan coalition of more than 80 senators is pushing a sanctions package that includes a 500% tariff on imports from nations purchasing Russian oil, gas, and uranium.
Meanwhile, rumors are circulating within diplomatic and political circles that Trump is weighing new sanctions on Russia in response to the Kremlin’s stance on ceasefire talks. According to Bloomberg News, senior Trump aides have been in closed-door discussions about economic penalties that could target Russia’s banking, energy, and defense sectors.
