(Updated: )
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on May 27 that Russia would already be facing serious consequences if not for his actions, following one of the most intense Russian aerial assaults on Ukraine.
"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," he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump's comments mark a rare public rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid growing pressure on the U.S. administration to respond to escalating Russian attacks.
On May 26, Russia launched its third large-scale aerial and drone assault against Ukraine in three nights, killing at least six people and injuring 24 across multiple oblasts.
The attack marked the most extensive drone strike against Ukraine during the full-scale war, topping the previous record of 298 drones overnight on May 25.
Trump recently held a two-hour phone call with Putin during which Russia reiterated its refusal to a full ceasefire in its war against Ukraine. Despite this, Trump has refused to impose new sanctions on Moscow, citing ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire.
"Because I think there's a chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you could also make it much worse," Trump said during a May 19 Oval Office briefing.
Trump has attempted to present himself as the only leader capable of ending the war quickly, though the lack of tangible pressure on Moscow has left Kyiv and its allies skeptical.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to the May 25 overnight bombardment, called for urgent new sanctions and warned that "America's silence, and the silence of others around the world, only encourages Putin."
The European Union and U.S. lawmakers have also called for tougher action.
A bipartisan sanctions bill is already awaiting approval in Congress, with provisions for sweeping financial penalties and tariffs on nations buying Russian oil or uranium.
Dominic Culverwell
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