MxM News

Quick Hit:

President Donald Trump condemned Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine’s capital, calling Putin “crazy” and warning sanctions are “absolutely” on the table if the bloodshed continues.

Key Details:

• Trump blasted Putin for launching nearly 300 drones and 69 missiles into Kyiv, killing at least 12.
• Speaking in New Jersey, Trump said he’s “not happy” with Putin and accused him of “killing a lot of people.”
• On Truth Social, Trump said the war “would never have started” if he were president and slammed both Zelenskyy and Biden for their roles.

Diving Deeper:

President Donald Trump issued some of his harshest criticism yet of Russian President Vladimir Putin following a devastating barrage of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv that left at least 12 civilians dead and dozens more wounded. The assault, the largest of the war in terms of aerial firepower, saw 298 drones and 69 missiles launched by Russia.

Speaking to journalists at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump did not hold back.

“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing,” he said. “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.”

The strikes hit Ukraine’s capital and other cities just as tenuous negotiations for a ceasefire were underway. Trump noted the timing, saying, “We’re in the middle of talking, and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities.”

Later on Truth Social, Trump doubled down, calling Putin “absolutely CRAZY!” and asserting, “I’ve always said that [Putin] 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!”

But Trump didn’t spare Ukraine’s president either. “Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop,” Trump wrote.

“This is a war that would never have started if I were President,” he added, laying blame squarely on “Zelenskyy, Putin, and Biden,” and insisting he’s only stepping in to try to extinguish “the big and ugly fires” caused by their “gross incompetence.”

Despite hesitation from Biden administration officials—particularly Secretary of State Marco Rubio—about levying sanctions that could disrupt ongoing talks, Trump made it clear where he stands: he would “absolutely” consider new sanctions if Putin’s attacks continue.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a post on Telegram, urged the international community to respond with tougher action. “The silence of America, the silence of others in the world only encourages Putin,” he wrote, saying every new Russian strike is “reason enough for new sanctions.”

(Sergey Guneev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

MxM News

Quick Hit:

President Trump says he’ll speak with Vladimir Putin by phone Monday at 10 a.m. to stop the Ukraine “bloodbath,” calling for a ceasefire and an end to a war he says “should have never happened.”

Key Details:

• On Saturday, Trump revealed his plans in a Truth Social post, writing: “THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE ‘BLOODBATH’ THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK.”

• Trump added that he also intends to reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO leaders. “HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE DAY.”

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a round of discussions with Ukrainian and Russian delegations Thursday in Turkey, followed by a Saturday phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The talks produced an agreement for a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange.

🚨 pic.twitter.com/8Azq6iXcGd

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 17, 2025

Diving Deeper:

President Trump said Saturday he will hold a direct call with Vladimir Putin on Monday in an attempt to broker a cease-fire in Ukraine, which he described as a “very violent war” that “should have never happened.” His announcement came amid renewed international attention on negotiations after Putin refused to personally attend this week’s summit in Istanbul, opting instead to send a lower-level delegation led by former cultural minister Vladimir Medinsky.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had hoped to meet Putin face-to-face, publicly criticized the move. “Russia once again demonstrated that it does not intend to end the war,” Zelensky said Thursday on X. “Such a Russian approach is a sign of disrespect—toward the world and all partners.”

As Kyiv pushes for a 30-day cease-fire, the Kremlin has made clear it wants Ukrainian forces to withdraw from Russian-occupied regions including Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Despite these tensions, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting on Trump’s behalf, managed to secure an agreement for a prisoner swap during Thursday’s talks. “President Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence” was the focus of follow-up communications, according to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.

Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier on Friday that Zelensky had “pissed away” billions of dollars in U.S. aid, while expressing optimism about halting the war. “We inherited this mess, but I think it’s going to get solved,” Trump said. “I think we’ll do it fast,” adding that Putin “is tired of this whole thing. He’s not looking good, and he wants to look good.”

In his Truth Social post, Trump emphasized both humanitarian and strategic goals for the Monday conversation. Alongside his effort to halt the fighting, Trump said trade would also be discussed during the 10:00 a.m. call with Putin. He reiterated his desire to quickly bring the conflict to an end and restore stability, ending: “GOD BLESS US ALL!!!”