This statement was made by US President Donald Trump in a post on the Truth Social platform on May 25 (US time), in the context of the escalating conflict situation in Ukraine and the continued fierce airstrikes by Russia, according to The Guardian.
I have always had a very good relationship with Russian Vladimir Putin, but something happened to him, Trump wrote on social media.
Earlier in the same day, Trump told reporters that he was very surprised that Putin continued to intensify attacks on Ukrainian cities, despite US efforts to promote a ceasefire. When asked if he would consider applying additional sanctions to Russia, Mr. Trump replied firmly: "Certainly".
In addition to criticism of the Russian President, Trump also did not ignore his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In his post, he said that the Ukrainian leader does not help the country by speaking powerfully as it is now. He emphasized: "Everything that comes out of his mouth causes trouble. I don't like it and it needs to end."
The comments came after Zelensky criticized the USs silence over the heaviest airstrike in three years of the conflict.
For two consecutive nights on May 24-25, Russia launched attacks by drones and ballistic missiles, killing at least 12 people, including three children. In total, Russian forces have launched 298 drones and 69 missiles at many locations across Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky emphasized: "Every such attack by Russia is a sufficient reason to impose new sanctions." Despite the call, Trump has refused to impose further sanctions on Moscow over the past week.
Meanwhile, Ukraine and its European allies continue to push for a 30-day ceasefire as a first step towards negotiating a peaceful end to the conflict. However, Trump's reject of tough measures has further hampered the effort.
Mr. Zelensky's chief of staff, Mr. Andriy Yermak, wrote on Telegram that without strong pressure, nothing would change. Moscow will continue fighting as long as it is still capable of producing weapons, he warned.
