U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for recent missile attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine, suggesting the Russian leader may not be serious about ending the war.
In a post on Truth Social following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome, Trump expressed frustration over the continued violence and hinted that Putin might need to be handled more aggressively.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities, and towns over the last few days,” Trump wrote. “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war… and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘banking’ or ‘secondary sanctions’? Too many people are dying!!!”
Trump’s comments come just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly told U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow that he was open to talks with Ukraine “without preconditions,” according to a Kremlin statement released Saturday.
Despite that signal, Trump appeared skeptical of Putin’s intentions, urging a tougher stance as civilian casualties continue to mount in the ongoing conflict.
