Trump becomes ‘global laughing stock’ after calling out Putin for ‘playing with fire’ on Truth Social
President Donald Trump has once again caused a stir with his latest posts on Truth Social, where he strongly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin after another round of violent missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. Trump, who has often claimed to have a good relationship with Putin, seemed genuinely shocked by the Russian leader’s recent actions. He didn’t hold back, calling Putin “CRAZY” and warning that he’s “playing with fire.”
Trump said that if it weren’t for him, things could have gone very badly for Russia a long time ago. He hinted that he had protected Russia in the past—though he didn’t go into specifics—but now feels that Putin is taking things too far. He also suggested that new sanctions could be imposed on Russia very soon, depending on how the situation develops.
This marks the second time in a single week that Trump has publicly attacked Putin, which is surprising given his past praise for the Russian leader. Many people online reacted with confusion and skepticism. Some critics pointed out that Trump had previously promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours if re-elected, but now seems uncertain about what to actually do. Others accused him of flip-flopping or using tough talk without a clear plan.
Over the weekend, Trump was seen golfing in New Jersey, but by Sunday he was telling reporters that he was “absolutely” considering tougher sanctions on Moscow. The Wall Street Journal and CNN both reported that Trump might announce new penalties against Russia this week, although he has not made a final decision yet.
In one of his Sunday posts, Trump tried to explain his new tone by saying, “I’ve always had a good relationship with Vladimir Putin, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” This shift in attitude seems to have caught many by surprise, especially since Trump has previously claimed he could speak to Putin and quickly bring the war to an end.
Trump’s team has also been speaking out. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told AFP that Trump still wants to negotiate peace and is keeping “all options” open. She repeated Trump’s belief that the war in Ukraine only happened because of Joe Biden’s weakness and failure in foreign policy.
Interestingly, despite all this tough talk, Trump recently had a phone call with Putin. According to Trump, Putin agreed during that call to start ceasefire negotiations immediately. Yet, not much has changed on the battlefield—Russia’s attacks on Ukraine have continued.
All of this leaves people wondering what Trump’s real plan is. He has promised peace, spoken of secret strategies, and claimed to have influence over Putin, but there is no clear evidence that any of it is working. What’s clear now is that Trump is trying to take a stronger stance publicly—but whether it’s real pressure or just more political messaging remains to be seen.
