Donald Trump delivered some of his most forceful remarks to date about Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday night, posting on Truth Social that the Russian leader had gone “absolutely” crazy and warning that his continued aggression could ultimately destroy Russia.
The comments followed a string of pointed criticisms Trump made about Putin earlier in the day while speaking with reporters in New Jersey.
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!,” Trump wrote.
“He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,” Trump said.
“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”
After expressing alarm over Putin’s recent actions, Trump pivoted to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, a frequent target of his criticism. Zelensky had recently expressed frustration over what he described as inadequate responses from the United States and its allies following a Russian missile and drone attack that killed at least 12 people.
“Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does,” Trump said.“Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop.”
Trump reiterated a central theme of his campaign—that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine would never have occurred had he still been in office.
He closed his Truth Social post by emphasizing that the blame for the conflict does not lie with him.
“This is a War that would never have started if I were President. This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s War, not ‘Trump’s,’ I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires, that have been started through Gross Incompetence and Hatred.”
{Matzav.com}