WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, accusing him of aggravating the war in Ukraine by stalling peace efforts while launching drone and missile attacks across the country.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump reiterated his warning that Putin was “playing with fire”, following a Truth Social post the day before in which he warned that “really bad” consequences for Russia had been averted only because of his administration’s restraint.
Despite his harsh rhetoric, Trump said he was not prepared to impose new sanctions on Moscow, suggesting that doing so could jeopardize a potential peace agreement still in the works.
The renewed tension comes as Russia proposed June 2 as the date for the next round of direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, a move announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Ukraine has yet to publicly respond.
The diplomatic spat between Washington and Moscow unfolds amid escalating warfare, with Russian troops advancing near Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region and both sides conducting widespread drone strikes.
Asked if Putin was deliberately delaying negotiations, Trump replied, “We’re going to find out whether or not he’s tapping us along or not, and if he is, we’ll respond a little differently.”
Following a May 19 phone call with Trump, Putin said he was prepared to work with Ukraine on a memorandum outlining the parameters for a potential ceasefire and peace accord. However, according to Russian sources, Putin is demanding written guarantees that NATO will not expand eastward into countries like Ukraine or Georgia, and also wants some Western sanctions lifted.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told state media that the U.S. president appeared “not well-briefed” on the realities of the conflict.
On Wednesday, Russia claimed to have intercepted 296 Ukrainian drones across 13 regions overnight. Ukraine, for its part, said it had struck multiple Russian weapons manufacturing facilities, while also defending against 88 drones and five ballistic missiles launched by Moscow.
Russia has also moved further into Ukraine’s Sumy region, following its earlier claim of ejecting Ukrainian forces from the adjacent Kursk region in late April. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that 50,000 Russian troops are now positioned near Sumy, but stressed that Kyiv has taken measures to prevent a full-scale invasion.
Speaking during Zelenskiy’s visit to Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany and Ukraine will jointly produce long-range missiles. The Kremlin immediately condemned the announcement, accusing Berlin of escalating the war.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov claimed that NATO is using the conflict to expand its presence in eastern Europe, while insisting that Russia continues to make advances along the front.
Now in its third year, the Russia-Ukraine war has left both nations deeply strained, with Russia controlling just under 20% of Ukrainian territory. Despite making gains over the past year, Moscow faces mounting military and economic costs, while Ukraine remains reliant on Western support to defend its sovereignty.
