Amid escalating global tensions surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting the Kremlin leader is “playing with fire.” Trump’s comments, made via his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, come as hopes for a resolution to the prolonged war remain dim.
“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!” Trump wrote, underscoring his claim that his past leadership had tempered greater global fallout.
Trump also took aim at both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during remarks made Sunday before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey. “I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. I don’t know what the hell happened to him,” he said, voicing frustration over the direction of the Russian leader’s recent decisions.
Later that evening, Trump escalated his rhetoric, posting that Putin “has gone absolutely CRAZY!” He then criticized Zelensky, claiming the Ukrainian president was “doing his country no favors by talking the way he does,” in reference to Zelensky’s pointed comments about U.S. silence on renewed Russian missile strikes.
The former president’s statements come as his administration-in-waiting has reportedly grown weary of ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, raising concerns that a future Trump presidency might adopt a less diplomatic stance.
In a sharp rebuttal, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev responded to Trump’s warnings on Tuesday. “Regarding Trump’s words about Putin ‘playing with fire’ and ‘really bad things’ happening to Russia — I only know of one REALLY BAD thing: World War III. I hope Trump understands this,” Medvedev posted on social media, further intensifying the geopolitical war of words.
As rhetoric escalates on both sides, international observers remain wary of further deterioration in relations and the potential global implications.
