President Donald Trump said he is “absolutely considering” imposing new sanctions on Russia following another deadly wave of missile and drone attacks launched by Moscow across Ukraine. As Bloomberg reports, Trump made the statement on Sunday while speaking to reporters in New Jersey before boarding Air Force One.
His comments reflected a growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin and disappointment with the stalled ceasefire negotiations.
“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing. He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to him. I’ve known him a long time — always got along with him. But now he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people. I don’t like it at all,” Trump told journalists.
Later the same day, after returning to Washington, Trump posted an emotional message on his social network Truth Social, in which he openly called Putin “CRAZY”:
“Putin has gone absolutely CRAZY! I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it. And maybe I’m being proven right. But if he continues down this path, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”
The statement came in the wake of renewed bloodshed: according to Ukrainian authorities, at least 12 people were killed in overnight airstrikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once again called on the West to toughen sanctions against Moscow. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continued their third consecutive day of prisoner exchanges.
As Bloomberg notes, earlier in May, Trump had shown reluctance to ramp up sanctions. However, now he seems to be considering targeting Russia’s oil sector — including potential measures against the state oil giant Rosneft and Russia’s energy exports.
Trump did not hold back when speaking to reporters:
“What’s wrong with Putin? We’re in the middle of talking, and he’s firing rockets into Kyiv and other cities. It’s madness. I don’t like it at all.”
Interestingly, Trump didn’t limit his criticism to the Kremlin. He also lashed out at Ukrainian President Zelensky and again blamed Putin and President Joe Biden for the ongoing war:
“President Zelensky 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 Truth Social.
These statements mark a shift in Trump’s rhetoric — he had previously avoided directly criticizing Putin. Now, however, as Bloomberg suggests, Trump appears to be adopting a tougher stance, acknowledging the scale of Russian aggression and expressing a willingness to consider stronger punitive measures.
Once again, the war in Ukraine has taken center stage in Trump’s foreign policy messaging — and this time, the President is sending a clear signal: he’s ready to be tougher, both on Moscow and Kyiv.
This article was prepared based on materials published by Bloomberg. The author does not claim authorship of the original text but presents their interpretation of the content for informational purposes.
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