Trump doesn’t know “what the hell” happened to Putin – The US gears to respond

President Donald Trump said he was definitely weighing fresh sanctions on Russia after Moscow carried out a second straight night of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine.

Trump made the remarks to reporters on Sunday in New Jersey, just before boarding Air Force One. He appeared increasingly annoyed with Russian President Vladimir Putin and dismayed by stalled negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in Ukraine. 

“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing,” Trump said. “He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin. I’ve known him a long time—always gotten along with him—but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all.”

Ukrainian officials reported that at least 12 people died in the overnight air raids. The attacks prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to renew his appeal for stricter penalties against Moscow. 

The bombardment also took place amid a third day of prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, underscoring the conflict’s complex, ongoing human toll.

Trump repeatedly asked what had happened to Putin. “We’re in the middle of talking, and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities,” he said. “I don’t like it at all.” 

Until now, the focus of U.S. pressure had fallen mostly on Zelenskiy to find a path to peace, even as Russia’s full-scale invasion that began in February 2022 continues to exact a heavy price.

Earlier this month, Trump had shown reluctance to ramp up sanctions on the Kremlin. But he suggested new measures could target Russia’s oil trade or its state-owned oil giant, Rosneft. 

Russia already faces sanctions from the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Earlier last week, Britain unveiled a sweeping package of sanctions against Russia’s military, energy, and financial sectors. The measures, coordinated with the EU, came in response to the largest drone assault of the war over the past weekend, which struck multiple Ukrainian cities.

London said its latest sanctions hit 100 new targets. These include networks that supply Russia’s Iskander missiles, Kremlin-backed information operations, and financial outfits that help Moscow sidestep existing penalties. 

“We urge [President Vladimir Putin] to agree a full, unconditional ceasefire right away so there can be talks on a just and lasting peace,” UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

Lammy added that any delay in peace efforts would only strengthen Britain’s resolve to back Ukraine’s defense and tighten sanctions on Russia’s war machine. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, together with leaders of major EU nations, has called on Washington to join in imposing harsher penalties on Moscow for refusing to halt hostilities.

Among the British measures is a new round of sanctions on the Social Design Agency, a Kremlin-linked disinformation group first blacklisted in 2024. London described it as a body that sought to stir unrest in European countries.

Forty-six financial institutions accused of helping Russia dodge existing sanctions were also targeted. Notable entities include the St. Petersburg Currency Exchange and the Russian Deposit Insurance Agency, which underwrites Russian banks.

Eighteen additional vessels were added to the blacklist. These ships form part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which is used to circumvent Western restrictions and keep its crude exports flowing. 

Finally, Britain said it is working with international partners to drive down the $60-per-barrel cap on the price Russia can fetch for its oil when using services, like insurance and shipping, from major industrial nations. 

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