Putin is ‘playing with fire’, says Donald Trump as Russian strikes in Ukraine escalate

US President Donald Trump issued a cryptic warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (May 27), suggesting that his own leadership helped prevent serious consequences for Russia — consequences he says could have been far worse.

In a post on Truth Social, 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!"

The message, vague but sharply worded, comes amid renewed Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, and continued Western support for Kyiv. Trump did not specify what the "really bad things" were, but the tone of the post suggests he sees himself as having previously restrained actions that could have severely harmed Russia — possibly through diplomacy, US policy, or military restraint.

The post comes amid intensified fighting in Ukraine and increasing global scrutiny of Moscow’s military actions. Trump has frequently criticised the Biden administration's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war and has claimed he could have prevented the conflict altogether.

No Kremlin response yet

The Kremlin had not responded to Trump’s remarks. It remains unclear whether the post was intended to pressure Putin, or serve as a warning about future consequences should the conflict escalate further.

The post adds to a growing list of public statements by Trump that seek to position him as a global power broker — and the only one capable of keeping personalities like Putin in check.

Potential new sanctions

The post also comes at a time when the US contemplates new sanctions over Russia’s intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.

Trump signaled he might soon move forward with new sanctions on Russia to increase pressure on the Kremlin. He said he would “absolutely” consider additional measures but has so far resisted calls from Senate Republicans and European leaders to impose harsher penalties.

Escalation of Russian attacks

Despite ongoing international efforts to broker peace, Russia has stepped up its aerial assaults. In recent days, Moscow launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles targeting multiple locations across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelensky said that about 900 drones were launched by Russia over the weekend.

Russia’s Defense Ministry stated it intercepted 99 Ukrainian drones overnight across seven Russian regions, while Moscow accused Kyiv of trying to “disrupt” peace efforts and justified its attacks as a “response” to Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian civilians.

Peace talks stall

This surge in violence comes despite a phone call eight days ago between Trump and Putin, during which Trump claimed Putin agreed to "immediately" begin ceasefire talks. The only tangible progress since the May 16 peace talks in Turkey between Russian and Ukrainian delegations has been a large prisoner exchange, with no significant breakthrough on negotiations.

Trump urged both sides to engage in ceasefire discussions mediated by the Vatican, emphasising the need for diplomacy amid rising tensions.

Kremlin reaction

The recent surge in Russian bombardments drew sharp criticism from Trump, who said Putin had “gone crazy.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded by downplaying what he called “emotional reactions” to the unfolding events.