President Trump speaks to reporters earlier than boarding Air Drive One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., on Sunday.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
cover caption
toggle caption
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
President Trump has sharply criticized President Vladimir Putin for unleashing a storm of drone and missile assaults on Ukrainian cities Sunday night, saying he was “not glad” with the Russian chief defying efforts to safe a ceasefire to finish the three-year conflict.
Trump instructed reporters Sunday that Putin is killing lots of people. “I do not know what the hell occurred to Putin,” Trump mentioned. “I’ve recognized him a very long time, all the time gotten together with him however he is sending rockets into cities and killing folks, and I do not prefer it in any respect.”
When requested if he would contemplate extra sanctions on Russia, Trump mentioned “completely.”
Trump went additional in a social media submit late Sunday, saying Putin “has gone completely CRAZY!” and was needlessly killing lots of people.
The Ukrainian Air Drive mentioned the Russian assault was the most important aerial assault of the conflict, with Russia unleashing 355 drones and 9 cruise missiles on dozens of Ukrainian cities, together with the capital, Kyiv. At the least 12 folks had been killed and dozens injured within the assaults.
The Kremlin performed down Trump’s remarks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged Trump’s feedback could possibly be blamed on “emotional overload,” and thanked Trump for his efforts to finish the conflict.
“We’re actually grateful to the Individuals and to President Trump personally for his or her help in organizing and launching this negotiation course of,” Peskov instructed reporters when requested about Trump’s remarks. “After all, on the identical time, it is a very essential second, which is related, after all, with the emotional overload of everybody completely and with emotional reactions.”
Sunday’s assault adopted heavy Russian bombardment on a number of Ukrainian cities a day earlier. Extra missiles rained down on Ukraine in a single day into Monday.
The assaults got here as Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner trade, however it was solely a flicker of fine information within the conflict. There was little signal of progress in securing a ceasefire, even after a greater than two-hour telephone name between Trump and Putin final week.
Ukraine has agreed to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, proposed by the U.S., however Putin rejected it.
Writing on social media Sunday, Trump urged Putin has bigger aspirations. “I’ve all the time mentioned that he needs ALL of Ukraine, not only a piece of it,” Trump wrote. “But when he does, it can result in the downfall of Russia!”
Trump additionally had robust phrases for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with whom he is had a prickly relationship. “The whole lot out of his mouth causes issues. I do not prefer it, and it higher cease,” he mentioned on social media.
