Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin "absolutely crazy" after Russia launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the 2022 invasion, killing at least 13 people. In a Truth Social post, Trump said, “Something has happened to Putin… needlessly killing a lot of people.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the remark, blaming "emotional overload." He said the attacks were retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s infrastructure.

Over the weekend, Russia launched more than 700 drones and missiles at Ukraine, including a record-breaking 355 drones in one night, killing 10 more people. Ukraine’s President Zelensky condemned the strikes as politically driven and senseless.

In response, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Ukraine's allies had lifted range restrictions on supplied weapons—opening the door for long-range systems like the Taurus missile, which Russia warned would be a "dangerous move."

Speaking in New Jersey, Trump criticised both Putin and Zelensky, accusing the latter of being unnecessarily provocative. He also said he might increase sanctions on Russia and reiterated that Putin's ambition to take all of Ukraine would “lead to the downfall of Russia.”

Despite European allies planning new sanctions, Trump recently held a two-hour call with Putin discussing a US-led ceasefire proposal. While Ukraine agreed to a 30-day truce, Russia only committed to working on a "future peace" memorandum—viewed by Kyiv as a stalling tactic.

Direct Ukraine-Russia talks resumed on May 16 in Istanbul, but little progress was made beyond a prisoner swap. Russia still controls about 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea.