President Donald Trump took another shot at Russian President Vladimir Putin over his refusal to work toward an end to the war in Ukraine.
The president has become increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin over its rejection of peace talks and outlandish demands for Ukrainian concessions. In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that the Russian president is “playing with fire.”
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!
This comes just days after President Trump railed against Putin over the carnage taking place in Ukraine.
While speaking to reporters at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey, Trump accused Putin of "killing a lot of people" in the attack, which was launched on Sunday afternoon.
“I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” Trump said, adding that he is not pleased with what the Russian President is doing.
“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,” the president added.
On Sunday, Russia launched drone and missile attacks in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities that resulted in 12 people dead and more critically injured. As a result, Trump suggested he would consider more sanctions against Moscow.
Trump “I don’t know what the hell happened with Putin”
— Agent Self FBI (@RetroAgent12) May 26, 2025
Well… let me help you.. The US stopped putting pressure on Putin,. that’s what the fuck happened. And by “the US,” I mean you, Trump.
You thought the path to peace was sucking up to Putin and strong-arming Ukraine into… pic.twitter.com/TAeNB8RNmD
Trump is even considering imposing more sanctions on Russia over its conduct, according to The Wall Street Journal.
President Trump is eyeing sanctions against Moscow this week as he grows frustrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued attacks on Ukraine and the slow pace of peace talks, according to people familiar with Trump’s thinking.
The restrictions likely wouldn’t include new banking sanctions, one of the people said, but other options are under discussion to pressure the Russian leader into concessions at the negotiating table, including a 30-day cease-fire supported by Ukraine that Russia has long rejected. Trump might also decide not to impose new sanctions.
The report suggsted that the president could wash his hands of the conflict after having trouble getting leaders from both sides to negotiate a peace deal.
Trump is also tiring of the peace negotiations and is considering abandoning them all together if a final push doesn’t work, people familiar with his thinking said, a remarkable change for a leader who campaigned on his ability to end the conflict on his first day in office. It is unclear what would happen if the U.S. retreats from the peace process and whether Trump would continue to provide military support to Ukraine.
“President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement to The Wall Street Journal. “President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table.”
The developments mark a new deterioration in relations between the U.S. and Russia—which have had ups and downs even in the past few months. Trump came into office believing he was in a unique position to improve ties between the two countries due to what he viewed as his strong personal relationship with Putin.
This is the latest development demonstrating how the relationship between Trump and Putin continues to sour in a way that could threaten a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
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