President Donald Trump lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing to attack Ukraine while talks are ongoing between the two countries to find an end to the ongoing conflict.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and the two nations have remained locked in war since then.
Trump said he would end the war within 24 hours after returning to office in January, but months later, negotiations remain at an impasse. Last month, Trump admitted that Putin may not want to stop the war and is just “tapping me along,” suggesting that the United States may need a different approach to Moscow to bring the conflict to an end.
Trump held a phone call with Putin last week, telling reporters in the runup that the Russian leader needed to stop the “bloodbath” in Ukraine, adding that he was confident that “a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end.”
Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Morristown, New Jersey, before he boarded Air Force One to return to Washington, D.C., Trump spoke about a range of topics as he fielded questions ranging from tariffs to manufacturing goals to Russia and Ukraine peace talks.
“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing,” the president said. “He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin. I’ve known him a long time. Always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all.”
“We’re in the middle of talking, and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don’t like it at all,” he added. “I don’t like what Putin is doing, not even a little bit. He’s killing people. Something happened to this guy, and I don’t like it.”
When asked if he had any comment on reports that Putin was almost caught in the middle of a drone attack from Ukraine, Trump suggested “maybe that would be a reason” for Putin’s supposed change of character, but stressed “I don’t know. I have not heard that.”
Later, when asked a follow-up about talks with Putin, Trump said he would “absolutely” consider applying tariffs against Russia to force progress in peace talks, again saying, “He’s killing a lot of people, I don’t know what’s wrong with him. What the hell happened to him, right? He’s killing a lot of people, I’m not happy with that.”
On Sunday, Kyiv and other regions came under a large Russian drone and missile attack that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens of others, the Associated Press reported.
In a post later on Sunday on Truth Social, Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying that he’s “doing his country no favors talking the way he does” and that “everything out of his mouth causes problems.”
Trump Had ‘Good’ Iran Talks
During his impromptu press gaggle, Trump revealed that he had spoken with Iranian officials over the weekend and said he would have good news to share soon regarding nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran.
“I have a feeling I might be telling you something good. We’ve had some serious progress,” Trump said. “Having to do with nuclear, we’ve had some very good talks with Iran…We’ve had some real progress, serious progress.”
European Tariffs Delayed
Separate from the questions Trump fielded Sunday evening, he also posted on Truth Social that he had spoken with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who had requested he delay tariffs against the trading bloc.
Trump announced that he had agreed and would push back the start until July 9, saying it was his “privilege to do so,” with promise to have more talks soon. Should the two leaders find good trade deals, it would mean potentially no tariffs for Europe at all.
What People Are Saying:
President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post: “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever. I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”
“Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does,” Trump continued. “Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop. This is a War that would never have started if I were President. This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s War, not “Trump’s,” I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires, that have been started through Gross Incompetence and Hatred.”
In a separate post from earlier in the day, Trump wrote: “I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1st deadline on the 50% Tariff with respect to Trade and the European Union. I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday in response to Russia’s latest attack: “…Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped. Sanctions will certainly help. Determination matters now – the determination of the United States, of European countries, and of all those around the world who seek peace. The world knows all the weaknesses of the Russian economy. The war can be stopped, but only through the necessary force of pressure on Russia. Putin must be forced to think not about launching missiles, but about ending the war.”
Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, last month said “I don’t think it’s going to get any better until we make it clear to Mr. Putin that we are willing to turn him and his country into fish food.”
Senator Chuck Grassley, an IowaRepublican, said in a post last month on X “IVE SEEN ENOUGH KILLING OF INNOCENT UKRAINIAN women + children. President Trump pls put the toughest of sanctions on Putin. U ought to c from clear evidence that he is playing America as a patsy.” (Newsweek)