President Donald Trump turned his criticism on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday after Russia pounded Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight, saying, “Vladimir, STOP!”
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing,” Trump wrote in a social media post, a day after accusing Ukraine’s leader of hampering peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
When asked about the Russian strikes on Kyiv at a briefing earlier on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was continuing to hit “military and military-adjacent targets.”
Trump’s rare rebuke of Putin followed his criticism of Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday for reaffirming Ukraine’s refusal to recognise Russia’s occupation of Crimea — a long-standing position held by Kyiv.
“This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia,” Trump said in a social media post.
Trump, who clashed with Zelenskiy in a contentious Oval Office meeting in March, said Crimea was lost years ago “and is not even a point of discussion.”
