US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of dangerously escalating the war in Ukraine.
“Putin is playing with fire,” Trump wrote on Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social, in response to Russia’s continued air strikes on Ukrainian cities.
The strikes have intensified over the past three nights, prompting widespread international condemnation.
Trump claimed that his past diplomacy helped prevent more severe consequences for Russia during his presidency.
“If it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia — and I mean REALLY BAD,” he wrote.
Lavrov praises Türkiye’s role in facilitating Russia-Ukraine peace talks, proposes Istanbul as a potential venue for a second round of negotiations
‘Putin gone absolutely crazy’
The remarks follow Trump’s statement on Sunday, where he described Putin as having “gone absolutely CRAZY” after the latest wave of attacks.
Trump, who frequently touted a strong personal rapport with Putin while in office, appeared puzzled by the Russian leader’s recent actions.
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin, but something has happened to him,” he said.
The Kremlin quickly brushed off Trump’s comments. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the statements as “emotional overload,” suggesting they should not be taken seriously.
Diplomatic developments
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts have seen a glimmer of progress.
On May 16, delegations from Moscow and Kiev met in Istanbul—their first face-to-face talks since March 2022—and, although no ceasefire was agreed upon, they concluded a deal to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each over three days.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan played key roles as facilitators, underlining Ankara’s ambition to host and mediate future negotiations.
Despite this breakthrough, substantive peace talks remain stalled: Russia has signaled it will present a draft peace memorandum, but Kiev has rejected Moscow’s core demands—including recognition of annexed territories and a pledge of neutrality—leaving the prospects for a broader settlement uncertain
As Western diplomacy falters, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan positions Türkiye as a pivotal actor in global peace efforts, from Ukraine to the Middle East, backed by personal engagement and strategic independence.
