'Playing with fire': Trump trades barbs with Kremlin after Russia fires missiles through negotiation prospects



President Donald Trump indicated last week that Russia and Ukraine would "immediately" begin negotiation talks. Trump appeared optimistic, noting that his two-hour call on May 19 with Vladimir Putin went "very well," even though the Russian president would not immediately agree to an unconditional ceasefire with Ukraine.

While the road to peace still appeared rocky and uncertain, Trump indicated days later that there were signs of promise as Russia and Ukraine had started their largest prisoner-of-war swap. Trump wrote, "This could lead to something big?"

Trump's optimism turned out to be premature.

Russia has pelted Ukrainian cities in recent days with drones and missiles, while Russian forces continue to advance in the east of the beleaguered country.

"The U.S. condemns Russia's attacks and all resulting civilian casualties in Ukraine. As the President has said many times, the killing must end. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families," a State Department spokesman told Blaze News. "We call for restraint and urge all parties to avoid further escalation that risks civilian harm."

Devolution

On the evening of May 24, Russia fired 14 ballistic missiles into Ukraine, six of which were apparently shot down, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Russia also dispatched 355 drones, 128 of which were also reportedly shot down.

'This cannot be ignored.'

At least 12 people were killed in what has been recognized as Moscow's largest aerial attack in the war so far.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X, "Russia is dragging out this war and continues to kill every day. The world may go on a weekend break, but the war continues, regardless of weekends and weekdays. This cannot be ignored. Silence of America, silence of others around the world only encourage Putin."

— (@)

Russia, which accused Kyiv of attempting to assassinate Putin earlier this month with two drones, has characterized the drone and missile offensive as retaliatory.

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian minister of foreign affairs, claimed prior to Russia's May 24 attacks that the "Ukrainian side launched a record number of combat drones" and suggested the alleged attacks were "a clear attempt to derail peace talks and disrupt the process that began in Istanbul."

'I don't like it, and it better stop.'

Ukrainian officials recently boasted that their large-scale drone attacks on Russian targets have in recent days damaged Russian military facilities, reported the Wall Street Journal.

RELATED: Dictator, thief, puppet: Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 3 strikes revealed

Photo by Office of the President of Ukraine via Getty Images

In a message on May 23, the Russian foreign ministry noted that "Russia will deliver a matching response to barrages of terrorist attacks carried out by the Kiev regime."

On the evening of May 25, Russia "carried out a combined strike on Ukraine" involving nine ballistic missiles, 55 winged missiles, one Soviet Kh-22 missile, four controlled aviation missiles, and hundreds of suicide drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

Trump responds, attacks continue

Trump noted on the night of the second consecutive aerial bombardment, "I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!"

"He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers," continued Trump. "Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever. 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!"

Trump assigned some blame to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting that "everything out of his mouth causes problems."

"I don't like it, and it better stop," added Trump.

Trump's threat of "downfall" evidently fell on deaf ears, as Moscow launched yet another missile and drone attack on Monday, this time deploying nine winged missiles and 355 drones, most of them Shahed suicide drones.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reportedly referred to the Monday attack as a "retaliatory strike."

When asked about Trump's remarks regarding Putin, Peskov said, "We are really grateful to the Americans and to President Trump personally for their assistance in organizing and launching this negotiation process," according to Reuters.

'There are no longer any range restrictions for weapons.'

"Of course, at the same time, this is a very crucial moment, which is associated, of course, with the emotional overload of everyone absolutely and with emotional reactions," added Peskov.

Trump did not respond well to Monday's attacks, stating, "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!"

Escalation

While Trump is now contemplating hitting Moscow with new sanctions, Russia could soon be hit with something far more devastating.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled on Monday that Germany, the U.K., the U.S., and other nations have removed all remaining range restrictions on weapons provided to Ukraine.

"We will do everything in our power to continue supporting Ukraine," wrote Merz. "This also means no longer having any range restrictions on the weapons we supply. Ukraine can now also defend itself by attacking military positions in Russia."

Merz clarified who was onboard with this move, telling a crowd, "There are no longer any range restrictions for weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine — neither by the British, nor by the French, nor by us, and not by the Americans either," reported the Associated Press.

Former President Joe Biden secretly signed off on the transfer of the Army Tactical Missile System to Ukraine in February 2024. The American-made supersonic missiles have a range of up to 190 miles. Ukraine also has British-made Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of 155 miles.

Around the time of the American presidential election, Biden eased some of the restrictions on American long-range missile use against Russia. It's unclear what additional limits on use still remained.

RELATED: Trump reveals Ukraine ceasefire challenges and who he blames most

MAXIM SHIPENKOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images / Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The use of long-range weapons against targets deep within Russia is a move long urged by Ukrainian officials, resisted by U.S. officials concerned about escalation, and identified by Putin as a trigger for a direct conflict between NATO and Russia.

Peskov said of Merz's statement that the elimination of range restrictions would be "quite dangerous" and "run contrary to our efforts to reach a political settlement."

'All options remain on the table.'

Although Peskov suggested that such a counterpunch could jeopardize negotiations, Russia is doing its part to delay meaningful peace in the region. After all, Russian forces are presently on the move and advancing through eastern Ukraine. They reportedly captured two settlements in the Donetsk region and a third settlement in the northern region of Sumy over the weekend.

The Institute for the Study of War noted in its Sunday assessment of the Russian campaign that

Russian President Vladimir Putin is leveraging long-range strikes against Ukrainian cities, aggressive rhetorical campaigns, and excessive pessimism in the West about the battlefield situation in Ukraine in a multi-pronged effort to degrade Ukrainian morale and convince the West that a Russian victory in Ukraine is inevitable and that supporting Ukraine is futile.

"We continue to support direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. There is no military solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A diplomatic solution is necessary to end the war and save lives," a State Department spokesperson told Blaze News.

Responding to question about whether the U.S. might now adopt a different approach to Russia, the spokesperson said, "All options remain on the table. President Trump has said clearly that he has a range of measures available to encourage Russia to participate constructively in negotiations."

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Russia-Ukraine talks to begin ‘immediately,’ Trump says after call with Putin



President Donald Trump stated Monday that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin negotiation talks.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump revealed some details regarding a two-hour call he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that the conversation went “very well.”

'I think it’s a place that both sides would be comfortable going.'

He announced that Russia and Ukraine would immediately begin talks to reach a ceasefire deal and ultimately agree on an “END to the War.”

“The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of. The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later,” Trump wrote.

RELATED: Russia, Ukraine resume talks for first time in years — all thanks to Trump

— (@)

The president noted that Putin expressed interest in engaging in “largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is over.”

“There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth,” Trump continued. “Its potential is UNLIMITED. Likewise, Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on Trade, in the process of rebuilding its Country.”

Trump further noted that the Vatican had agreed to host the negotiation talks.

RELATED: Trump reveals Ukraine ceasefire challenges and who he blames most

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and Pope Leo XIV. Photo by Simone Risoluti Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also suggested that the Vatican could be the venue for the discussions.

“I think it’s a place that both sides would be comfortable going,” Rubio stated. “So we’ll talk about all of that and obviously always grateful to the Vatican for their willingness to play this constructive and positive role.”

The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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Russia, Ukraine resume talks for first time in years — all thanks to Trump



Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday, marking the first meeting between the two countries since 2022 due to mounting pressure from President Donald Trump.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed the negotiators at Dolmabahce Palace on Friday, urging the two countries to reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible.

"There are two paths ahead of us: One road will take us on a process that will lead to peace, while the other will lead to more destruction and death," Fidan said. "The sides will decide on their own, with their own will, which path they choose."

'Although tensions ran high, progress has been made.'

RELATED: Trump earns unlikely praise from House Democrat: 'I got to give him some kudos there'

(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The war officially began under former President Joe Biden, but there was little movement throughout his term. Now, Trump has taken the lead to resolve the conflict.

Up until Trump's inauguration in January, Ukraine was essentially bankrolled by the United States. That all changed during the infamous Oval Office meeting with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Although tensions ran high, progress has been made with various proposed peace deals, though none have yet been agreed to by all parties involved.

RELATED: Trump pledges to lift 'brutal and crippling' sanctions on Syria, pushes for Middle East peace talks

Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

The Russia-Ukraine War is not the only conflict Trump is trying to resolve. The president spent the week touring the Middle East and meeting with various leaders, like President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

During these meetings, Trump encouraged the leaders to sign onto the Abraham Accords alongside Israel in order to restore peace in the Middle East. Trump also urged the leaders to expel foreign terrorists from Syria, to deport Palestinian terrorists, to aid the United States and prevent the resurgence of ISIS, and to take responsibility for the ISIS detention centers in Syria.

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Trump reveals Ukraine ceasefire challenges and who he blames most



Last week, Glenn Beck sat down for an exclusive interview with President Trump to review his first 100 days in office. It should come as no surprise that they discussed a wide range of topics, as the Trump administration has operated at a pace that is both shocking and awe-inspiring.

Among the list of subjects Glenn brought up — which included executive orders, congressional action, border security, judicial insurrection, and AI development, among others — was the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

President Trump provided valuable insight into the challenges of securing a ceasefire deal in Ukraine, what he believes sparked this war, and why he’s so set on ending it.

Trump told Glenn that had he won in 2020, the war between Russia and Ukraine “would have never happened.”

It was Biden’s energy policies that doubled prices and enabled Putin’s invasion, he explained.

However, falling energy prices, thanks to Trump’s green light on energy production, is now hindering Russia’s efforts. Even still, negotiations to end the war are far from complete.

“Is [Zelenskyy] the problem? Is Putin the problem? Or is Europe the problem?” Glenn asked.

Trump’s answer? It’s complicated, but the majority of the blame falls on Biden.

“This is Biden’s war,” he said, noting the “$350 billion” the former president funneled into Ukraine.

Even though Trump inherited this problem from Biden’s deeply incompetent and corrupt administration, he’s still going to “end it” — not just for the sake of stopping the bleeding of cash, but also because the war is killing “5,000 people a week.”

Unfortunately, Zelenskyy’s demands for security and aid aren’t making negotiations easy.

“He's asking for more, just more and more and more, and he doesn't have the cards,” Trump told Glenn, adding that Putin has actually been the easier of the two to work with.

“I don't believe that Vladimir Putin would be doing this for anybody else but me. ... I think he's willing to make a deal,” he added.

To hear more of the interview, watch the episode above.

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'Where's the Money?': Zelenskyy faces demand for U.S. aid audit



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing criticism from President Trump, who posted on Truth Social that Zelenskyy’s recent boasting that Ukraine “will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea” is “harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia.”

“Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama and is not even a point of discussion. Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it 11 years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” Trump continued in his post.

“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about. The situation for Ukraine is dire — he can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” he added.


Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed” notes that President Trump has repeated this sentiment several times, and it “just doesn’t seem to be registering with Zelenskyy.”

However, Zelenskyy isn’t just facing criticism from President Trump.

The Ukrainian president also sat down with the Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, who asked him some hard-hitting questions — including where the money he’s received from the United States is going.

“I want to start by asking you about the meeting that you had in the Oval Office. How do you feel that you could have handled things better with the president and the vice president?” Shapiro asked the Ukrainian president.

“The meeting in the Oval Office — it did not help Ukraine,” he replied.

Shapiro then dug a little deeper, pointing out to Zelenskyy that the United States has spent nearly $200 billion on the defense of Ukraine. “Would an audit be possible by the United States of where those dollars are going?” Shapiro pressed.

“We are ready to have any inspections from the very beginning of the war. The inspectors coming from the United States, Europe, and our own inspectors — they’re working. We have complete reporting counting, absolutely transparent within the Ministry of Defense,” Zelenskyy responded.

“There is access to all the figures starting from the very first year of the war,” he continued, adding that “most of those money were in the form of weapons.”

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Ex-NHL goalie calls Trump a 'traitor' and says former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev threatened to kill him



Two-time Stanley Cup champion Dominik Hasek has consistently referred to President Donald Trump as siding with criminals in regard to trying to make a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

Hasek, a 60-year-old born in the Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia), said he sent letters to the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation about how former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to kill him.

Per the New York Times, Medvedev, who is now deputy head of Russia's security council, reportedly said through his assistant that Hasek suffered from "Russophobia," should be careful when crossing the street, and additionally should "not drink beer in unverified places."

Hasek took to his X page to cite his letters to the governing bodies in an attempt to put continuous sanctions on Russian athletes.

"I inform them that former Russian President Medvedev threatened to kill me. Furthermore, among other things, I point out how important their decisions will be in the coming months and again offer assistance in creating rules so that sports competitions are not an advertisement for the Russian war and people do not die because of them."

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala reportedly replied that the alleged threats were "not surprising" and cannot be ignored.

— (@)

Hasek has voiced his opinion extensively on the Russia-Ukraine war and has consistently been critical of the NHL for allowing Russian players to participate in games. The former goalie said only players who disavow their home country's role in the war should be allowed to play in the league.

"Rules need to be set so that Russian players have an incentive to come out publicly," Hasek said. "Some players could make the best peace ambassadors. Unfortunately, the NHL does not help the Russian hockey players one bit."

— (@)

While simultaneously asking for help in ending the war, Hasek has been brutally critical of President Trump, throwing insults at the politician on a near-daily basis.

Recently, Hasek has said Trump is committing "evil," said he is a "loser," and even called him "human scum."

The Czech also suggested that the peace resolutions Trump has attempted to procure are "dictated to him by criminals in Moscow."

"This is a betrayal of the entire democratic world by the American president and further proof of his collusion with criminals," Hasek wrote.

Hasek has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "the leader of the democratic world" and said the world admires him, while at the same time he called Trump a "traitor to the democratic world" who cannot condemn the deaths of the war. The latter seemingly depends on one's viewpoint, as Trump has repeatedly said that too many people are dying as a result of the conflict that he wants to see come to an end.

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FACT CHECK: Did Tulsi Gabbard Say Trump And Putin Were Good Friends?

A post shared on X claims Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard said that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were good friends. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaking on Trump and Putin in a new interview with India’s NDTV: “We have 2 leaders of 2 great countries who are very […]

AP caught red-handed making false claims about Gabbard — forced to retract story



The Associated Press was forced to withdraw one of its Monday articles after it falsely claimed that U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "very good friends."

The now-retracted article incorrectly reported that Gabbard said Trump and Putin are "focused on strengthening ties." However, Gabbard was not referring to Trump's relationship with Putin but rather to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

'If this isn't a clear example of pushing a solely political narrative, then nothing is.'

Gabbard's misrepresented quotes were taken from an interview with India's NDTV released Monday.

"The ties between our two countries, the United States and India, go very, very far back," she told NDTV. "What we're continuing to see is a strengthening of that partnership and recognizing that the mutual interests of both of our countries are centered around peace, prosperity, freedom, and security."

"We have two leaders of our two great countries who are very good friends and are very focused on how we can strengthen those shared objectives and those shared interests," Gabbard added.

The AP article, titled "Gabbard says Trump and Putin are 'very good friends' focused on strengthening ties," was retracted from its website and replaced with a statement declaring that the outlet had decided to withdraw the story.

It read, "The Associated Press has withdrawn its story about U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin 'are very good friends.' Gabbard was talking about Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The AP will publish a corrected version of the story."

As of Tuesday morning, the article was removed from the AP's website. However, the article remains live on some news publishers that utilize the AP's feed.

The original AP article read, "U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin 'are very good friends' who are focused on ways to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Russia."

"Gabbard said ties between Russia and the U.S. go 'very far back' and that Trump is committed to expanding a relationship centered 'around peace, prosperity, freedom and security,'" it continued.

The AP claimed, "Gabbard's comments reflect the dramatic shift in U.S.-Russia relations under Trump, who has boasted of his relationship with Putin, blamed Ukraine for Russia's invasion and taken a hard line against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."

The outlet further claimed that Gabbard had "echoed Russian propaganda about the war and expressed sympathy for Russia."

All of Gabbard's quotes mentioned in the article were her comments about India and Modi. Regardless, it claimed that her falsely attributed comments about Trump's and Putin's "friendship" had "alarmed some critics of Trump's call for warmer relations with Moscow."

Alexa Henning, Gabbard's deputy chief of staff, torched the AP for its false reporting.

"The @AP is total trash," Henning wrote in a post on X. "DNI @TulsiGabbard was referring to PM Modi & President Trump and this is the headline they publish."

"This is why no one trusts the maliciously incompetent and purposefully bias[ed] media. If this isn't a clear example of pushing a solely political narrative, then nothing is," she added.

The AP told Fox News Digital, “AP has removed its story about U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘are very good friends’ because it did not meet our standards. We notified customers and published a corrected story with an editor’s note to be transparent about the error.”

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Elizabeth Warren Claps In Support Of Continuing Ukraine War For Five Years

The president pointed out Warren's support for the war with his long-time nickname referencing the senator's fake Indian identity.