The U.S. president warned that if Putin wants to conquer all of Ukraine it will “lead to the downfall of Russia!”
President Donald Trump expressed his waning tolerance for Vladimir Putin as the Russian military continued its attacks on Ukrainian cities for the third consecutive night. Trump took to social media to convey his concerns, stating that Putin has appeared to undergo a negative transformation, describing him as acting irrationally.
In his message, Trump mentioned his historically positive relationship with Putin, but he emphasized that recent events have led him to believe that Putin’s behavior has become erratic and dangerous. Trump condemned the extensive civilian casualties resulting from the bombings and missile strikes in Ukrainian urban areas.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, Trump voiced his disapproval of Putin’s actions, criticizing the indiscriminate nature of the attacks on civilian-populated areas in Ukraine. Trump’s remarks signaled a shift in his attitude towards Putin, reflecting a deeper level of concern and criticism regarding the ongoing conflict.
The attack was the largest aerial assault since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, according to Ukrainian officials. At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured.
The U.S. president warned that if Putin wants to conquer all of Ukraine, it will “lead to the downfall of Russia!” But Trump expressed frustration with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well, saying that he 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,” Trump wrote on social media.
The president has increasingly voiced irritation at Putin and the inability to resolve the now three-year-old war, which Trump promised he would promptly end as he campaigned to return to the White House.
He had long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin and repeatedly stressed that Russia is more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal.
But last month, Trump urged Putin to “STOP!” assaulting Ukraine after Russia launched another deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, and he has repeatedly expressed his frustration that the war in Ukraine is continuing.
“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,” Trump told reporters earlier Sunday as he departed northern New Jersey, where he spent most of the weekend. “I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people and I don’t like it at all. ”
A peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine remains elusive. Trump and Putin spoke on the phone this past week, and Trump announced after the call that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin ceasefire talks. That conversation occurred after Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Turkey for the first face-to-face talks since 2022. But on Thursday, the Kremlin said no direct talks were scheduled.
The European Union has slapped new sanctions on Russia this month in response to Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire. But while Trump has threatened to step up sanctions and tariffs on Russia, he hasn’t acted so far.
Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
