In a rare public rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump unleashed scathing criticism on Sunday following Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began. Speaking at Morristown Airport in New Jersey, Trump, who once touted strong ties with the Kremlin leader, declared: “I’m not happy with Putin.”
Overnight, Russia fired 367 drones and missiles into Ukrainian territory, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens. Multiple cities, including the capital Kyiv, were targeted in a coordinated blitz that stunned global observers.
Trump, who is actively campaigning for a second term in the White House, expressed his frustration at what he described as Putin’s alarming shift in behavior.
“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,” Trump said.
“We’re in the middle of talking and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities! I don’t like it at all. I don’t like what Putin is doing, not even a little bit. He’s killing people. And something happened to this guy, and I don’t like it,” he added.
On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump went further, saying: “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.”
The Ukrainian military reported that 266 drones and 45 missiles were successfully intercepted, but the scale of the assault still caused widespread destruction. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that more than 30 cities and villages were affected.
Reacting to the deadly attack, Zelenskyy voiced dismay at what he called a lackluster global response — particularly from Washington.
“The world may go on vacation, but the war continues, despite weekends and weekdays,” Zelenskyy said. “This cannot be ignored. America's silence, and the silence of others in the world, only encourages Putin.”
The Ukrainian president further warned that Russia’s aggression would continue unless serious diplomatic and economic pressure was exerted on Moscow.
Sources close to the Trump campaign confirmed that the former president had recently spoken with both Putin and Zelenskyy in separate calls lasting over two hours. Trump, who has positioned himself as a potential peacemaker, has repeatedly hinted at brokering a ceasefire if elected.
But Sunday’s deadly bombardment appears to have changed his tone.
“If he wants all of Ukraine, it’ll lead to Russia’s downfall,” Trump warned, drawing a sharp line in his previously ambiguous stance on the war.
