Trump: Putin is playing with fire

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump again criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday.

"What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that, if it weren't for me, Russia would have already had many very bad things happen to it, I mean REALLY BAD. He is playing with fire", Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social.

Trump's views on Putin have fluctuated since the beginning of his term. Although he has occasionally issued sharp criticism and considered sanctions, he has also spoken about the possibility of reducing trade barriers and attracting American investments to Russia.

However, on Sunday, he was unusually sharp: "I have known him for a long time, we have always had a good relationship, but now he is sending missiles to cities and killing people, and I don't like that at all. As we speak, he is sending missiles to Kyiv and other cities. I don't like that at all."

Incidentally, the Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to Trump, reported that Trump is considering introducing new sanctions against Russia because he is increasingly frustrated by the continuous Russian attacks on Ukraine and the slow progress of peace negotiations.

According to one source, the sanctions would likely not include new measures against banks, but other options are being considered to pressure Putin to agree to concessions, including a 30-day ceasefire supported by Ukraine, which Russia has so far consistently rejected.

According to the same sources, Trump is losing patience with the peace process and is considering abandoning it altogether if the last attempt fails – which would be a sudden turn for a president who based his campaign on the promise to end the war on his first day in office.

It is unclear what would happen if the US withdrew from negotiations, nor whether Trump would continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.

"President Trump is clear – he wants an agreed-upon peace deal. He is also wisely keeping all options open," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told The Wall Street Journal.