President Donald Trump isn’t holding back. Returning to the White House from West Point over the weekend, Trump blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for the recent barrage of missile attacks on Ukraine — even while peace talks were supposedly underway. According to Trump, this reckless aggression could spell the “downfall of Russia.”
Speaking with reporters on the tarmac, Trump made it clear he’s had enough of Putin’s behavior, saying with visible frustration:
“Yeah, I’ll give you an update. I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. He’s killing a lot of people.”
Trump went even further, openly questioning Putin’s mental state, adding:
“I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin… something happened to this guy, and I don’t like it.”
In a separate statement later that evening, Trump didn’t hold back:
“He has gone absolutely CRAZY!”
The comments come on the heels of a brutal Russian drone and missile attack on multiple Ukrainian cities, reportedly killing several civilians. What really set Trump off was the timing — the missile strikes happened while diplomatic talks were still unfolding.
“I don’t like it at all, OK? We’re in the middle of talking and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities… I’m surprised, I’m very surprised. We’ll see what we’re going to do.”
Trump’s tone suggested more than concern — he sounded genuinely angry, warning that Putin’s behavior isn’t just wrong, it’s dangerous for Russia’s future.
“If he [Putin] does [continue this push to fully conquer Ukraine], it will lead to the downfall of Russia.”
President Trump made it clear that new sanctions against Russia are “absolutely” being considered, but he hinted that if Moscow doesn’t change course, the response could go well beyond economic penalties.
This isn’t the first time Trump has warned of serious consequences for Russia’s escalations. But the tone this time is more urgent — and more personal.
While Trump saved his harshest criticism for Putin, he didn’t give Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky a free pass either. Trump voiced concern that Zelensky’s public statements may be making a difficult situation worse:
“President Zelenskyy 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.”
The remark suggests Trump believes Ukraine needs to show more discretion — and possibly more cooperation — if peace is truly the goal.
Trump’s comments came just hours after the deadly attacks, which have put a freeze on ongoing peace negotiations. Despite a major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine over the weekend, diplomatic efforts have ground to a halt. Russia has now said no further talks are scheduled.
As it stands, Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is entering its fourth year. Despite heavy losses and international backlash, the Kremlin appears determined to continue its campaign — but Trump’s warning was crystal clear: “It will lead to the downfall of Russia” if it doesn’t back down.
