US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he is “playing with fire” as frustration grows over stalled peace talks and Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump wrote, “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!”Though he did not detail what the really bad things would be, reports from both The Wall Street Journal and CNN suggest the White House is considering fresh sanctions on Moscow as early as this week.Trump’s latest comments come just days after he slammed Putin as “CRAZY” following Russia’s record-breaking drone assault on Kyiv over the weekend, which killed at least 13 people.“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump posted on Sunday night.After Russia unleashed the massive aerial attack on Ukraine, Trump said he was weighing further sanctions on Moscow. Russia fired 367 drones and missiles at cities across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, in what Ukrainian officials are calling the largest air attack since the war began Reuters reported.The president’s tone marks a notable shift from his historically softer stance on the Russian leader. In the past, he had often expressed admiration for Putin and held back from open criticism. But growing frustration with Russia’s position in ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine appears to weaken these sentiments.On Sunday, Trump told reporters he was “absolutely” considering increasing sanctions on Moscow, as diplomatic efforts stall despite a recent phone call between the two leaders. Trump said Putin had agreed during the call to “immediately” start talks towards a truce.Moscow, however, has shown little sign of pulling back. On Tuesday, Russian officials accused Ukraine of trying to “disrupt” peace efforts and said the recent aerial bombardments were in retaliation for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian civilians.
