A top Kremlin aide has accused President Donald Trump of being “not sufficiently informed” about the situation in Ukraine after the US president stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire.”
Yury Ushakov, an aide to President Putin and a former Russian ambassador to Washington, was responding to a Truth Social post by President Trump on Tuesday. In his post, President Trump wrote, “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!” Ushakov, who was part of the Russian negotiating team that met with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, questioned the accuracy of the information President Trump possesses.
Ushakov’s remarks follow a period of intensified Russian aerial attacks on civilian targets in Ukrainian cities. In recent weeks, dozens of civilians have been killed in Russian drone and missile strikes targeting residential areas. Data compiled by CNN based on Ukrainian Air Force information indicates that four of the five largest drone attacks launched by Russia since the full-scale invasion began occurred within the past two weeks. Over the weekend, at least 14 civilians, including three siblings from one family, were killed in Russian air attacks. The funeral for these three children – aged 8, 12, and 17 – was held in their hometown of Korostyshiv in central Ukraine on Wednesday.
President Trump’s comments came after the Russian attack that resulted in the deaths of the Martynyuk children, which was described as Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine. Following this attack, President Trump posted on Truth Social accusing the Russian leader of having gone “absolutely CRAZY.” President Trump wrote, “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. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.”
The exchange between President Trump and Moscow escalated when Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and prime minister who now holds a security official role, responded to President Trump’s threat on Tuesday. Medvedev stated, “I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope President Trump understands this!” Medvedev served as head of state during a period when Putin had to step down as president to become prime minister due to constitutional term limits, which have since been lifted, allowing Putin to potentially remain president indefinitely. While once a prominent figure in Russian politics, Medvedev’s influence has reportedly waned in recent years, with him often noted for his aggressive rhetoric on social media.
Keith Kellogg, President Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, described Medvedev’s remarks as “reckless.” He stated on X, “Stoking fears of WW III is an unfortunate, reckless comment,” and added that the United States is still awaiting Russia’s ceasefire proposal.
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