WASHINGTON, May 25 — President Donald Trump delivered his sharpest rebuke yet of Russian President Vladimir Putin, declaring the Kremlin leader has “gone absolutely crazy” as Russian forces intensified air assaults on Ukraine for a third consecutive night.
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him,” Trump posted on social media Sunday night. “He has gone absolutely CRAZY!”
The remarks followed what Ukrainian officials described as the largest aerial attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The latest barrage, involving drones and missiles across Kyiv and other cities, left at least 12 civilians dead and dozens more wounded.
“Missiles and drones are being shot into cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,” Trump wrote. “Putin is needlessly killing a lot of people.”
Trump, who has frequently touted his ties to Putin, has grown increasingly critical of Russia’s ongoing offensive and voiced frustration over the lack of progress in ending the conflict, now entering its third year. He warned that an expanded Russian campaign to seize all of Ukraine would bring devastating consequences for Moscow.
“If Putin wants to conquer all of Ukraine, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” he said.
Trump also directed criticism at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling his public messaging unhelpful. “Everything out of his mouth causes problems,” Trump wrote. “I don’t like it, and it better stop. He’s doing his country no favours by talking the way he does.”
Despite his past assertions that Russia is more inclined toward peace than Ukraine, Trump has shifted tone in recent weeks. After another deadly round of strikes last month, he urged Putin to “STOP!” attacking Ukrainian cities. Speaking to reporters on Sunday before leaving northern New Jersey, where he spent the weekend, Trump reiterated his dismay.
“I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. He’s killing a lot of people,” he said. “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 resolution to the conflict remains out of reach. While Trump and Putin reportedly held a phone call last week, after which Trump claimed ceasefire talks would begin “immediately,” the Kremlin has since stated that no direct negotiations are currently planned.
That call followed a rare face-to-face meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Turkey—the first since 2022. The European Union has meanwhile imposed new sanctions on Moscow, responding to Putin’s unwillingness to engage in meaningful ceasefire talks.
Although Trump has threatened to intensify sanctions and tariffs against Russia, he has not yet taken formal action.
