Russia Dismisses Trump Over Putin Remarks as the War in Ukraine Intensifies

What Happened?

The U.S. and Russia entered into a heated argument on Wednesday over attacks that have intensified in the ongoing Ukrainian war.

In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump warned that President Vladimir Putin was 'playing with fire' by refusing to engage in talks to advance ceasefire efforts with 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,' Trump said Tuesday.

In response to Trump's remarks, senior Moscow security official Dmitry Medvedev said on social platform X, 'I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII.'

U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg criticized Medvedev’s post and called his remarks 'unfitting of a world power.'

'Stoking fears of WW III is an unfortunate, reckless comment,' said Kellogg.

Putin's foreign policy aide reportedly told Russian media that Trump's remark suggested he 'is not sufficiently informed about what is really happening in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian confrontation.'

Why it Matters

Swarms of drones were reportedly launched by both countries as the Russian military has advanced along the front.

President Trump strongly criticized Putin after he recently unleashed the largest aerial attack of the war on Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials told reporters that Russia launched 355 drones and nine cruise missiles against Ukraine earlier this week.

According to reports, the Russian attack hit targets in five locations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that while the Trump administration is making 'considerable efforts' towards peace in Kyiv, Russia was 'grateful' but just like the U.S., Russia has its own national interests above all for us.

Trump has said that the missiles and drones shot into Ukrainian cities were done so for 'no reason whatsoever' and has even stated Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!'

Some reports have swirled claiming Putin's helicopter was 'at the epicenter' of a Ukrainian drone attack on May 20.

However, the claim could not independently be verified by The Kyiv Independent.

The Russian military commander also did not reportedly provide any evidence supporting the claim.

Trump is now reportedly weighing new sanctions on Moscow as pressure for a ceasefire has begun to reach a boiling point.

How it Affects You

Russian officials state its latest attacks were 'retaliatory' in response to Ukraine's recent targeting of civilian infrastructure.

This escalation comes immediately after a successful 1,000-person prisoner exchange between both countries.

It was seen as an important step of confidence-building measures concluding recently held peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey.

But so far, Russia has shown no progress in advancing the U.S.-led ceasefire effort despite Trump suggesting negotiations would begin ‘immediately.’

The U.S. could soon join the U.K. and Europe, which announced major sanctions against Russia to help achieve these goals.