A line has been crossed.
President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with Russia’s recent large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine during a press briefing on Sunday. Speaking at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey, Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for the strike, accusing him of causing significant civilian casualties.
“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing,” Trump said. “He’s killing many people, and I don’t understand what has happened to him.” Trump reflected on his past relationship with Putin, saying he had known him for a long time and had always maintained a cordial rapport. However, he condemned the current actions, pointing out that Putin was launching rockets into cities and causing deaths, which he strongly disapproved of.
The attack targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities amidst ongoing negotiations and involved hundreds of drones and missiles. Ukrainian officials reported at least a dozen fatalities and numerous injuries. This assault marked the largest aerial offensive in the conflict so far, with close to 300 drones and nearly 70 missiles deployed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a strong international response, warning that global silence only emboldens Russia. He urged additional sanctions against Moscow to counter these repeated attacks.
Later, Trump took to Truth Social to further criticize Putin, calling him “absolutely crazy,” while also taking issue with Zelenskyy’s statements. Trump suggested that Putin’s ambition to control all of Ukraine could ultimately lead to Russia’s downfall. He also criticized Zelenskyy’s rhetoric, saying it was counterproductive and should cease. Trump concluded by distancing himself from the conflict, saying it would not have started under his leadership and described it as “Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s war,” while portraying himself as someone trying to manage the consequences.
