Washington: In a renewed outburst on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that he is "playing with fire" by stalling ceasefire talks in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The post marked Trump’s second public criticism of Putin this week, reflecting escalating frustration from Washington toward the Kremlin.
Trump implied that Russia had avoided serious consequences thanks to his previous actions, though he did not specify what those were. “What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened in Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Trump wrote.
In response, Russian Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev dismissed Trump's comments, warning on social media that the only "really bad thing" would be a third world war. “I hope Trump understands this,” Medvedev posted on X.
Earlier this week, Trump also slammed Putin for launching a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine, calling the Russian leader “absolutely CRAZY.”
Despite the criticism, Putin recently indicated that Russia remains open to drafting a peace memorandum with Ukraine. After a two-hour phone conversation with Trump last week, Putin claimed that part of the discussions involved a potential ceasefire and its possible timeline. However, the Kremlin said it’s too early to predict how long the drafting process might take.
Kyiv and its allies — including the U.S. and European partners — have been pushing Moscow to accept an immediate, unconditional ceasefire lasting at least a month.
In a significant development, newly appointed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany, along with France, the U.S., and the U.K., has lifted previous restrictions on the range of missile systems supplied to Ukraine. This change allows Ukraine to carry out strikes deeper into Russian territory.
“There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine,” Merz confirmed. “This means Ukraine can now defend itself, for example, by attacking military positions in Russia.”
Merz did not clarify when or how these decisions were made by each nation, raising questions about the coordination behind the policy shift.
The Kremlin denounced the move as a provocative step. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that such actions are “completely at odds” with efforts toward a political resolution and could escalate the conflict.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Russian troops have made fresh advances in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, capturing at least four villages — Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka, and Zhuravka — according to local officials. Residents of the affected areas had already been evacuated.
Ukraine’s border guard service reported that Russian forces, supported by drones and operating in small groups using motorcycles, are intensifying attacks in the region. Russia’s Defence Ministry also claimed control of Bilovody, suggesting further movement toward the city of Sumy, which lies close to the Russian border.
The Russian offensive follows one of the most intense waves of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine since the invasion began in early 2022. In retaliation, Ukraine has launched several long-range drone strikes into Russian territory, temporarily shutting down airports in Moscow.
Amidst the escalating events, Turkey has said that it is ready to host another round of direct Russian - Ukraine talks as the first round was not much successful in terms of ceasefire progress.
