Trump calls Putin ‘crazy’ after largest Russian attack on Ukraine

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has strongly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russia launched its biggest air attack on Ukraine since the start of the war in 2022. Trump said he was “not happy” with Putin and called him “absolutely crazy” for the violence.

“What the hell happened to him? He’s killing a lot of people,” Trump told reporters in New Jersey. Although Trump said he had known Putin for a long time and usually got along with him, he made it clear that he didn’t support the recent attacks.

The comments came after a deadly night in Ukraine. At least 12 people were killed and many more were injured when Russia launched 367 missiles and drones, making it the largest single-night attack since the war began. Air raid sirens sounded across the country again on Monday morning.

In Kharkiv, in the northeast, three people, including a child,d were hurt. Two more were injured in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia.

Meanwhile, in Russia, Moscow officials said two Ukrainian drones headed for the capital were shot down, but no one was injured.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted strongly, criticizing the U.S. for staying silent. He said the lack of a strong response from Washington was giving Putin more confidence. Zelensky called for tougher sanctions and more pressure on Russia.

When asked whether he would increase sanctions against Moscow, Trump said: “Absolutely.” However, so far, no new sanctions have been put in place.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also said Putin “wants all of Ukraine, not just a piece of it,” and warned that this could lead to Russia’s downfall.

But Trump didn’t stop there—he also criticized Zelensky, saying the Ukrainian leader’s comments were making things worse. “Everything out of his mouth causes problems,” Trump said, adding that it “better stop.”

At the same time, Trump is trying to push forward peace talks. He recently had a two-hour phone call with Putin about a possible ceasefire. Trump said the conversation went “very well,” and that both Russia and Ukraine would soon begin negotiating a deal to stop the war.

Ukraine has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, but Russia has not confirmed this. Instead, Putin has said that Russia would work on a “memorandum” for a “possible future peace”—a move many believe is just a delay tactic.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian and Russian officials met directly in Istanbul, Turkey, for the first time since 2022. Aside from a major prisoner swap, there hasn’t been much progress toward peace.

Currently, Russia still controls around 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed back in 2014.

As the war drags on, the world watches closely to see if these latest talks will lead to anything real, or if the fighting will just continue.