U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, accusing him of “playing with fire” amid stalled peace talks and escalating violence in Ukraine.
The statement came after a deadly Russian drone assault on Kyiv over the weekend that killed at least 13 people. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realise 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 had previously described Putin as “CRAZY” in another post, following the record-breaking air attack on the Ukrainian capital. He also hinted that new sanctions against Moscow could be imminent, though he stopped short of making specific threats.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal and CNN suggest the White House is actively considering a fresh round of sanctions as early as this week, though final decisions have not yet been made. Trump confirmed to reporters on Sunday that he was “absolutely” weighing stronger measures against the Kremlin.
These remarks reflect a significant shift in Trump’s stance toward Putin, a leader he has often praised in the past. His growing frustration stems from what he called Russia’s unwillingness to engage meaningfully in ceasefire negotiations.
According to Trump, a phone call between the two leaders eight days ago ended with Putin agreeing to “immediately” start talks. However, Russian strikes have continued since then. Moscow, in response, accused Kyiv of attempting to derail peace efforts, claiming its own recent attacks were retaliation for Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian civilians.
