Trump also directed criticism at President Zelensky, accusing the Ukrainian leader of escalating tensions.
US President Donald Trump has lashed out at his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after Moscow carried out its largest airstrike on Ukraine since 2022.
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey late Sunday, Trump expressed frustration at the scale of the overnight attack that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens in Ukraine. “What’s wrong with him? He’s killing a lot of people,” Trump said in a post on True Social before calling Putin “absolutely crazy.”
The Russian military reportedly launched a barrage of 367 drones and missiles early Sunday — the highest number in a single night since the full-scale war began. Airstrike sirens echoed across several regions of Ukraine on Monday morning with reports of fresh strikes again. In Kharkiv, at least three people, including a child, were injured, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly condemned Washington’s silence in response to Russia’s recent aggression. He urged the United States to increase pressure on Moscow through tough sanctions.
While Trump has consistently criticized the war, his latest comments mark a remarkable shift in tone from his previous language about Putin. “I’ve known him for a long time, I’ve always been with him,” Trump said. “But he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like that at all.”
When asked about further punitive measures against Moscow, the US president said new sanctions were “absolutely” under consideration. However, Washington has not yet imposed any new ones, despite previous threats.
In the same True Social post where he called Putin “absolutely crazy,” Trump reiterated his long-held belief that Putin wants to take over all of Ukraine, warning that such ambitions could spell disaster for Russia. “If he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia,” he wrote.
However, Trump also directed criticism at President Zelensky, accusing the Ukrainian leader of escalating tensions. “Everything that comes out of his mouth causes problems,” Trump wrote.
Diplomatic efforts appear to be at a crossroads. While European countries are preparing to impose more sanctions on Russia, the United States has signaled it may abandon mediation efforts if there is no meaningful progress.
The latest development comes days after a two-hour phone call between Trump and Putin, during which the two leaders discussed a proposed U.S.-backed ceasefire plan. Trump claimed the talks had gone “very well” and expressed hope that talks for a ceasefire would begin soon.
While Kyiv has agreed to a temporary 30-day ceasefire, Moscow has responded more cautiously. Putin said Russia was ready to work on a memorandum outlining a “possible future peace,” which Kyiv and European capitals have dismissed as a stalemate.
First direct Ukraine-Russia talks since 2022 The talks were held in Istanbul on May 16, with limited success. Aside from a key prisoner exchange, little progress was made in stopping the conflict, now in its third year.
