Putin 'Playing With Fire', Warns Trump After Russian Attack On Ukraine
Trump is considering new sanctions, potentially this week, while blaming Biden for the war and advocating for a negotiated peace.
US President Donald Trump has warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he is "playing with fire", launching a fresh attack on the Russian President over stalled Ukraine peace efforts.
The remark comes after he called Putin "CRAZY" over the weekend following a mass Russian air attack on Kyiv, and warned that Moscow risked new sanctions.
Taking to his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of terrible things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD."
"He’s playing with fire!”
Trump, however, did not specify what the "really bad" things were or threatened on any specific issue.
The threats might not be hollow, though, as the US President is considering fresh sanctions against Russia as early as this week while also suggesting that he could still change his mind, according to a report by CNN and Wall Street Journal.
On Sunday, Trump told reporters he was "absolutely" considering increasing sanctions on Moscow. He has kept "all options" open, said the White House.
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, said the war was Joe Biden's "fault", adding Trump "has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal."
"President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table,” Leavitt told AFP.
Former US President Joe Biden had imposed sweeping sanctions after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump has so far avoided what he says could be “devastating” sanctions on Russian banks.
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