Trump says Putin ‘playing with fire’ as sanctions pressure grows

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump warned Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that he was “playing with fire,” taking a fresh jab at his Russian counterpart as Washington weighs new sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine war.

Trump´s latest broadside showed his frustration with stalled ceasefire talks and comes two days after he called the Kremlin leader “absolutely CRAZY” following a major drone attack on Ukraine.

Moscow, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, insisted it was responding to escalating Ukrainian strikes on its own civilians and accused Kyiv of trying to “disrupt” peace efforts. Diplomatic efforts to end the war have intensified in recent weeks but Putin has been accused of stalling peace talks.

“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!” Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Trump did not specify the “really bad” things he said he had protected Russia from, or make any specific threats. But the Wall Street Journal and CNN both reported that the Republican was now considering fresh sanctions as early as this week.

Trump told reporters on Sunday he was “absolutely” weighing such a move. The White House said Trump was keeping “all options” open. “This war is Joe Biden´s fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal. President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told AFP in a statement.

Biden, Trump´s Democratic predecessor, imposed sweeping sanctions after Russia´s invasion. Trump has so far avoided what he says could be “devastating” sanctions on Russian banks. But Trump´s recent rebukes mark a sharp change from his previous attitude towards Putin, whom he often speaks of with admiration. His frustration at his failure to end a war he said he could solve within 24 hours boiled over at the weekend after Russia´s drone barrage killed at least 13 people.