Washington, May 28 – Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him “absolutely crazy” for launching one of the largest airstrikes on Ukraine since the start of the war, and said he was “absolutely” considering expanding U.S. sanctions against Moscow in response to the latest escalation in violence.
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. “He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers.”
The comments marked one of Trump’s strongest rebukes of the Russian leader, whom he has often praised in the past. They come amid growing frustration with Russia’s position in stalled ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Morristown Airport before boarding Air Force One, Trump reiterated his concerns, saying: “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.”
Trump also warned that any effort by Moscow to occupy the whole of Ukraine would lead to Russia’s downfall. “If he does [take all of Ukraine], it will lead to the downfall of Russia,” he said.
The comments came as Russia conducted a new wave of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, killing at least 13 people, including three children in the northwestern Zhytomyr region, Ukrainian officials said. The attacks coincided with the largest prisoner exchange between the two countries since the war began in February 2022, with 1,000 captives swapped on each side.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks, stating that “without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped.”
Trump also took aim at Zelensky, accusing the Ukrainian president of escalating tensions. “Everything out of his mouth causes problems,” Trump said. “I don’t like it, and it better stop.”
The former U.S. president repeated his claim that the war would not have started if he were in office. “This is a war that would never have started if I were President,” he said. “This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s war – not Trump’s.”
Trump’s remarks appeared to contradict statements made earlier by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who testified before Congress that Trump believed sanctions might hinder diplomatic dialogue. On Sunday, however, Trump confirmed he was “absolutely” considering further sanctions in response to the latest Russian attacks.
Despite a two-hour phone call between Trump and Putin earlier this week – during which Trump said Moscow and Kyiv would “immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire” – there has been no formal commitment from the Kremlin. Putin instead proposed working on a memorandum outlining Russia’s conditions for peace, without providing details.
