U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin for refusing to engage in ceasefire talks over the ongoing war in Ukraine, warning that Putin is “playing with fire.”
Posting on Truth Social, Trump expressed growing frustration with the Russian leader, saying, “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened in Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire.” It was his second public rebuke of Putin in a week.
Trump also slammed recent Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, calling Putin “absolutely CRAZY” and accusing him of “needlessly killing a lot of people.”
In response, Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev dismissed Trump’s comments, warning, “I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!”
Despite the escalating rhetoric, Putin said after a recent two-hour call with Trump that Russia was still open to working with Ukraine on a draft peace agreement, including terms for a possible ceasefire. However, the Kremlin said on Tuesday that the timeline for completing this draft remains uncertain.
Ukraine, along with the U.S. and its European allies, has been calling for an immediate and unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Western Allies Remove Limits on Missiles to Ukraine
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany, along with France, the U.S., and the UK, has lifted range restrictions on the missile systems it provides to Ukraine.
“There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine,” Merz said. “This means Ukraine can now defend itself by striking military targets inside Russia, something it had mostly avoided until now.”
Merz, who recently took office, emphasized continued military support for Ukraine, although he did not clarify when or how each country made the decision to remove the restrictions.
The Kremlin responded by warning that such changes would undermine peace efforts. “These are quite dangerous decisions, if they have been made,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Russia Gains Ground in Sumy Region
Meanwhile, Russian forces have captured four villages — Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka, and Zhuravka — in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region, marking another setback for Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian officials said the villages had already been evacuated.
The gains come after a wave of large-scale Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, among the most intense since the invasion began in early 2022. In response, Ukraine has launched its own drone attacks deep into Russian territory, temporarily disrupting airports in Moscow.
Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov said Russia is attempting to establish a “buffer zone” near the border. Russia’s Defence Ministry also claimed control of the nearby village of Bilovody.
Ukraine’s border guard reported that Russian forces, supported by drones and operating in small units using motorcycles, are expanding their attacks across a wider area of the border region.
