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In a rhetorical escalation that was dramatic in tone, US President Donald Trump went on record and called Russian President Vladimir Putin "absolutely crazy" in response to a series of escalating UAV attacks across Ukraine, a sharp shift in tone from the US president who has previously boasted about his personal rapport with Putin. The remarks, on Trump's Truth Social site on Sunday, May 25, 2025, come at a time of high-stakes diplomacy to bring a ceasefire to the four-year Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, in contrast to Trump's implication that Russia and Ukraine agreed to negotiate an immediate ceasefire, the Kremlin has remained calm, casting doubts over reports of an imminent cessation of hostilities. This article delves into the latest turn of events, the background of Trump's remarks, and the complex dynamics of the conflict in Ukraine.
A Drone Barrage and an Inflammatory Rebuke
Over the weekend of May 24–25, 2025, Russia unleashed what Ukrainian officials described as the largest drone and missile barrage since February 2022 when Russia began its all-out war against Ukraine. One evening between Saturday and Sunday, Russia launched 367 drones and missiles into Ukraine's cities, including Kyiv, killing at least 13 and injuring dozens, the air force of Ukraine said. Bombardment disrupted celebrations of Kyiv Day, with residents scattering into bunkers and metro stations as alarms wailed and explosions rocked the capital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks, referring to them as "Only a sense of complete impunity could lead Russia to launch such attacks and keep expanding their scale."
Trump acted swiftly and notably sharp-tongued. On Truth Social, he tweeted, "Something happened to [Putin]. He's completely CRAZY. He's killing a lot of people unnecessarily." The comments followed remarks to the media in New Jersey, where Trump sounded exasperated, saying, "I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. I've known him for a long time. I always got along with him.". But he's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it." This is a rare public criticism from Trump, who has previously emphasized his "very good relationship" with Putin, even referring to personal courtesies like Putin's prayers after a 2024 attempt on Trump's life.
But Trump's ire was not solely reserved for Putin. He also targeted Zelenskyy, criticizing the Ukrainian president's outspoken calls for greater U.S. and Western action against Russia. "He is not doing a good job for his country by saying what he is saying," Trump tweeted, going on, "Everything he says causes problems, I don't like it, and it has to stop." The two-pronged attack is a demonstration of the balancing act that Trump is performing as he attempts to negotiate peace between the two warring nations while remaining an international force to be reckoned with.
Ceasefire Talks: Hopes Dashed Against Roadblocks
Trump's comments come after a high-profile, televised phone call with Putin on May 19, 2025, that lasted over two hours and was "excellent" from Trump's perspective and "meaningful and frank" from Putin's. The call was one of a broader diplomatic push by Trump to end what he has repeatedly termed as a "bloodbath" in Ukraine. Following the conversation, Trump announced on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War.” He suggested that the Vatican, Turkey, or Switzerland could host these talks, with Pope Leo reportedly expressing interest in facilitating negotiations.
However, the Kremlin’s response has been far less definitive. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the process as "complex" and indicated that "there are no deadlines and there cannot be any," emphasizing that "the devil is in the details." Putin himself has only promised to negotiate with Ukraine on a "memorandum on a possible future peace," a general promise that Kyiv and its European allies interpret as a delaying tactic. This contradiction refers to a fundamental issue: while Ukraine has pledged publicly to an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days, Russia has never agreed to take such an offer and instead demanded to work towards the "root causes" of the conflict—demands which entail demilitarization of Ukraine, neutrality, as well as recognition of Russian-annexed territories like Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
The recent drone incidents add further complexity to the situation. Just days before Trump's call with Putin, Russia and Ukraine had their first direct talks since March 2022 on May 16, 2025, in Istanbul. While the talks saw the release of a significant swap of 1,000 prisoners from both sides, they were not able to bring movement in the direction of a ceasefire. Russia's subsequent ratcheting up, including the historic drone attack, shows that Putin is employing military pressure to strengthen his position at the negotiating table. Defunct U.S. Ambassador to Poland Daniel Fried labeled Putin's conditions as equivalent to "a surrender" for Ukraine, cautioning that a ceasefire without guarantees of security for Kyiv would prove unworkable.
Trump's Diplomatic Tightrope
Trump's role in the Russia-Ukraine war has been at the center since his re-election, with his government indicating a willingness to facilitate peace while keeping the United States from becoming more entangled. European politicians, worried that Trump may concede too much to Russia, have urged him to keep the pressure on Moscow by maintaining sanctions. On May 18, 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and others joined together to demand a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, threatening "massive" new sanctions if Russia did not. But Trump has so far fought back against new sanctions, warning of the risk of making it "much worse" and hoping that economic enticements such as massive trade with Russia could result in peace.
This approach has been contested by Ukraine and its allies. Zelenskyy has been cautiously supportive of Trump's initiatives, yet he stressed that "pressure on Russia will encourage it to make real peace." Ukrainian officials, such as Zelenskyy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak, have reaffirmed that Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity are absolute and not subject to negotiation, dismissing Russian calls for demilitarization or the surrender of annexed territories. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink recently condemned the Trump administration for exerting "pressure on the victim, Ukraine, rather than the aggressor, Russia."
Trump's comments on Zelenskyy and the preparedness of Ukraine to surrender territories like Crimea have recently raised concern in Kyiv and among European allies. In February 2025, Trump suggested that Ukraine might have to abandon its claim on Crimea and forgo NATO membership in exchange for negotiating a deal, a stance taken by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. These remarks have raised the fear that Trump is prepared to trade away the future security of Ukraine for a short-term solution, possibly goading Putin into further demands.
The Broader Context: A War of Attrition
The stepped-up drone strikes are all included in a broader Russian campaign to demoralize Ukraine's will and infrastructure. Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern and southern regions. The Kremlin's insistence that the world acknowledge these territories as Russian, as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has characterized, is indicative of Putin's maximalist mindset. Though Ukraine has achieved some successes, such as holding onto territory in Russia's Kursk province, it is short on manpower and relies significantly on Western assistance.
The toll of the conflict is prohibitive. Estimates of up to 100,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties and a half-trillion-dollar price tag for rebuilding. Russia's missile and drone campaigns have struck civilian infrastructure, such as energy facilities like the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Trump has said could be used as leverage in peace negotiations. Ukraine, meanwhile, has carried out long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, imperiling Moscow's war coffers.
What's Next?
Up to May 26, 2025, the way to a ceasefire remains fraught with challenges. Trump's frustration with Putin, and his belittling of Zelenskyy, show mounting exasperation with the impasse. His threat to impose sanctions—even a 25–50% tariff on countries buying Russian petroleum—is a departure from his earlier reluctance, though as yet he has not moved. European leaders are continuing to call for even more severe action, including Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's call for additional sanctions following the recent attacks.
Ukraine's interests are survival. Zelenskyy had asked for a high-level summit involving Russia, the U.S., the EU, and Britain to push a complete peace resolution but was shown cold as Putin declined to cooperate on a time frame and increased the military pressure. The Kremlin's involvement in ceasefire talks appears to be a bid to get Trump's good favor with battlefield victories, a strategy that was previously known as "poison pills" intended to pin blame on Ukraine if negotiations fail.
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