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'He has gone absolutely crazy': Trump rebukes Putin after weekend attacks on Ukraine

'He has gone absolutely crazy': Trump rebukes Putin after weekend attacks on Ukraine

BBC News26-05-2025

Update:
Date: 09:00 BST
Title: What's the latest?
Content: It's just turned 09:00 BST in London, and 11:00 in Kyiv and Moscow. If you're just joining us, here's the latest:
Stay with us for further updates.
Update:
Date: 08:31 BST
Title: Trump 'leaving maniac and victim face-to-face', Ukrainian MP says
Content: A Ukrainian MP has urged Donald Trump to impose further sanctions on Russia after this weekend saw Moscow launch its biggest aerial assault on Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion.
Following the attack - which killed at least 12 people - Volodymyr Zelensky warned that "America's silence, and the silence of others in the world, only encourages Putin".
The Ukrainian president "is doing his country no favours by talking the way he does", Trump later said.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezkho says Trump must deliver on his promise to end the war in Ukraine.
"When Trump is talking about walking away or washing his hands of Ukraine, it's like leaving the maniac and the victim face-to-face," he says.
He adds: "I'm under the impression that President Trump is trying to avoid imposing sanctions on Russia and trying to find pretext to blame Ukraine."
Update:
Date: 08:07 BST
Title: Russia says 96 Ukrainian drones intercepted overnight
Content: Meanwhile, in Russia, the defence ministry says it destroyed and intercepted 96 Ukrainian drones across twelve regions overnight, the Tass news agency reports.
This includes six drones shot down over the Moscow region, it adds.
The governors of the Oryol and the Ryazan regions confirmed there had been casualties.
Update:
Date: 07:46 BST
Title: Kyiv comes under attack for third night in a row, says city's military chief
Content: Explosions above Kyiv overnight as Ukrainians fire at Russian drones
Kyiv has been attacked by Russian drones for a third night in a row, the head of the city's military administration says.
In a post on Telegram, Timur Tkachenko says the strikes caused damage in the Dnipro district of the Ukrainian capital.
"Windows were broken in one of the residential buildings. Also, falling debris was recorded on the territory of a garage cooperative and a recreation facility," Tkachenko adds.
"Fortunately, there were no casualties," he says.
Update:
Date: 07:33 BST
Title: Poland deploys fighters to protect airspace during Russian strikes
Content: Adam EastonWarsaw correspondent
Warsaw has scrambled its own and allied aircraft to secure the country's airspace during Russian strikes on neighbouring Ukraine, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command says.
'This is the second very busy night in a row for the entire air defence system in Poland, due to the observed renewed activity of the Russian Federation's long-range aviation carrying out missile strikes on facilities located in the territory of Ukraine,' it says in a brief statement on X.
It is worth noting that the Operational Command routinely issues such a statement when Russian missile strikes target western Ukraine.
Update:
Date: 07:24 BST
Title: Trump also has stern words for Zelensky
Content: Leading our coverage this morning is Trump's latest rebuke of Vladimir Putin.
Though his ire was directed in the main at the Russian president, Trump also had stern words for Zelensky.
He "is doing his country no favours by talking the way he does", he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
"Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop," he added.
The relationship between the US and Ukrainian leaders has been turbulent since Trump's return to the White House, culminating in an on-camera row in the Oval Office in February.
Update:
Date: 07:14 BST
Title: Russian attacks continue after major assault on Sunday
Content: Saturday night into Sunday morning saw Russia's biggest aerial assault on Ukraine since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured after Russia fired 367 drones and missiles.
Ukraine's Air Force said it was able to down 266 drones and 45 missiles. But it warned that "most regions of Ukraine" were affected by the attack.
On Sunday night, attacks from Moscow continued - although seemed more limited.
Ukraine's Air Force reported incursions by Shaheed drones and UAVs through the night, but said the threat had been repelled for all regions by around 05:00 BST (07:00 local time).
This morning, the state emergency service is sharing pictures of buildings on fire in Odesa, where it says a residential building was destroyed by Russian drones.
Update:
Date: 07:00 BST
Title: 'Something has happened to him': Trump slams Putin
Content: This video can not be played
"Yeah I'll give you an update, I'm not happy with what Putin's doing"
US President Donald Trump says he is "not
happy" with Vladimir Putin, following Moscow's
largest aerial attack yet on Ukraine at the weekend.
Posting on social media platform, Truth Social, Trump says: "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."
Trump adds: "I've always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that's proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!"
In separate comments to reporters on Sunday night, Trump said: "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."
Asked if he was considering more sanctions on Russia,
Trump said: "Absolutely."
Update:
Date: 06:55 BST
Title: Trump calls Putin 'crazy' after largest Russian attack on Ukraine
Content: Donald Trump's patience with Vladimir Putin appears to be wearing thin.
"Absolutely CRAZY," was his characterisation of the Russian president in a Truth Social post on Sunday.
It comes after at least 12 people were killed in overnight Russian attacks on Saturday.
Ukraine said 367 drones and missiles were fired at the country, making it the biggest aerial assault in a single night since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia's attacks appear to have slowed down overnight. Meanwhile, the defence ministry in Moscow says its forces downed 96 Ukrainian drones.
Stay with us for further updates.

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