U.S. President Donald Trump speaks, as he signs executive orders and proclamations in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
In the wake of Russia’s largest aerial assault of the Ukraine war, U.S. President Donald Trump issued stark warnings to Vladimir Putin, saying the Russian leader has “gone absolutely CRAZY” and is “playing with fire.”
The comments came as Ukrainians endured three consecutive night of massive Russian drone and missile attacks. Ukrainian officials reported over 900 drones and missiles launched over three nights, with the largest barrage including at least 367 weapons and resulting in 12 deaths, including three children in the Zhytomyr region.
Trump, speaking from Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday, expressed concern about Putin’s actions, stating “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. What the hell happened to him? Right? He’s killing a lot of people. I’m not happy about that.”
The U.S. President indicated he is considering additional sanctions against Moscow.
“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!,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the strikes targeted Ukraine’s Starokostiantyniv air base in the Khmelnytskyi region, characterizing them as a response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian targets. The western Khmelnytskyi region, home to a military air base, was hit by seven cruise missiles and numerous drones, with damage reported to residential buildings and industrial facilities.
Despite ongoing peace negotiations, the conflict continues to escalate.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) last imposed sanctions against Russia on January 15, 2025. These sanctions, implemented by the Biden administration, targeted Russia’s oil and gas revenues and included measures against 183 vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet. However, they have not yet succeeded in curtailing Russia’s war efforts.
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