On a recent Sunday, former President Donald Trump expressed his bewilderment regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intensified military actions against Ukraine, particularly as cease-fire negotiations remain in limbo. Trump’s frustration was palpable as he criticized Putin’s escalating violence.
“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing. He’s killing a lot of people. And I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” Trump told reporters at the airport in New Jersey while preparing to board Air Force One back to Washington.
“We’re in the middle of talking, and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don’t like it at all.”
In a striking escalation, Russia unleashed an unprecedented wave of 367 drones and missiles against Ukrainian cities overnight on May 25, marking one of the largest air assaults since the conflict erupted in February 2022, tragically resulting in numerous casualties.
The airstrikes coincided almost eerily with the final stage of a prisoner exchange between the two nations, which had previously seen hundreds of captives traded in a bid to de-escalate hostilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy didn’t mince words, accusing Russia of willfully dragging out the conflict. He urged the United States and European allies to impose stricter sanctions on Russia as a form of pressure.
“Each such terrorist Russian strike is a sufficient reason for new sanctions against Russia,” Zelenskyy declared on social media platform X. “The silence of America and others around the world only encourages Putin. Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped.”
Trump echoed similar sentiments on the Truth Social platform, cautioning that any ambitions Putin has for total control over Ukraine would backfire disastrously for Russia.
“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia,” he noted regarding the Russian leader.
Moreover, Trump criticized Zelenskyy’s rhetoric, suggesting that he was not doing any favors for his country “by talking the way he does” and should reconsider his approach.
U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg also condemned the Russian assaults, labeling them as “shameful,” and called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.
“The indiscriminate killing of women and children at night in their homes is a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents,” Kellogg stated in a social media post. “Stop the killing. Ceasefire now.”
This prisoner swap finalized the third phase of an agreement struck the previous month, where both sides committed to releasing 1,000 prisoners of war captured during the ongoing conflict.
Zelenskyy reported on social media platform X that on May 25, Ukraine received 303 prisoners back, including members of its armed forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and State Special Transport Service.
Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the swap, asserting that both nations welcomed home 303 soldiers on the same date.
The initial two phases of the arrangement involved the exchange of 307 prisoners from each side on May 24 and 390 prisoners from each side on May 23.
The Trump administration has been advocating for a ceasefire agreement to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin stated on April 30 that Putin is still open to a ceasefire and a peaceful settlement, although unresolved issues remain.
Zelenskyy has indicated on X that Ukraine is willing to enter into a temporary ceasefire with Russia, provided that Russia first demonstrates its commitment to peace by initiating a full, unconditional ceasefire. This would entail ceasing missile and drone strikes and halting offensive operations along the front lines.
Jacob Burg and Reuters contributed to this report.
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