From the White House, former President Donald Trump posted a lengthy message on Truth Social Sunday night, declaring that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has gone absolutely CRAZY.” Trump accused Putin of launching attacks on Ukrainian cities “for no reason whatsoever,” expressing shock over the scale of the recent assault.
Trump, who once claimed to have had a “strong and beautiful” relationship with Putin, now says he believes the Russian leader has lost his mind. He also blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for worsening the conflict through his public remarks and criticized President Joe Biden for fueling what he called a preventable disaster.
“This is a war that would never have started if I were president,” Trump stated. “This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s war — not Trump’s.”
According to RuNews24.ru, Putin seemingly responded to Trump’s recent call for a 30-day ceasefire with a major offensive, launching 250 drones and 14 ballistic missiles into Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Friday night. Ukrainian forces reportedly intercepted nearly 100 drones near Moscow in response.
Putin Conceals War Budget as Secret Spending Spikes
Russia’s war expenditures are increasingly hidden from public scrutiny. As noted by RuNews24.ru, the Kremlin’s 2025 federal budget contains the word “secret” 39 times. According to Yakov Yakubovich from Russia’s National Research Nuclear University, 12.12 trillion rubles (around $152 billion) — or 29.22% of the entire federal budget — is classified. This marks a significant increase from last year’s 11.1 trillion rubles.
Yakubovich suggests this surge in secret spending is likely directed toward military operations and infrastructure in newly occupied regions. He added that revealing these details could trigger more international sanctions — a key reason for the secrecy.
Meanwhile, Europe is struggling to keep up with Ukraine’s demand for military supplies. Though President says domestic weapons production is improving, shortages in manpower and equipment persist. In a Friday statement, he said: “Each strike by Russia makes it clearer to the world who is prolonging this war.” He also called for stronger economic sanctions on Moscow to pressure Putin into serious negotiations.
Diplomacy Faces Challenges as Washington Considers Tougher Pressure
In Senate testimony Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration’s diplomatic strategy. He confirmed that U.S. arms shipments to Ukraine continue, even though the administration hasn’t tapped into new funding sources.
Rubio noted that the European Union is working on new sanctions and that the U.S. is trying to acquire more Patriot missile systems from NATO allies. When asked whether Trump is being influenced by Putin, Rubio denied the accusation and stated that Biden-era sanctions remain fully in place. According to Rubio, Trump is choosing diplomacy over immediate threats to keep communication channels open.
However, peace talks are faltering. Putin did not attend the most recent negotiation session in Istanbul, instead sending a low-level delegation to meet with Rubio, who was dispatched as Trump’s envoy.
Back in Washington, Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal introduced a bipartisan bill — co-signed by 81 senators — warning that if Russia refuses to negotiate in good faith, the U.S. will implement direct sanctions. Graham threatened a 500% tariff on any nation, including China, that continues to purchase Russian oil, gas, or uranium. “If we see more of the same,” Graham warned, “Russia can expect decisive action from the United States Senate.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responded by saying that any real peace would depend on addressing the “root causes” of the war. He reiterated Moscow’s demand for a new, “legitimate” government in Ukraine and continued to label administration as corrupt and Nazi-controlled