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Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that the time has come to exert pressure on Western nations, accusing them of attempting to "strangle" Russia and asserting that a reciprocal response is warranted. “They’re trying to strangle us and we should reciprocate,” he stated, as reported by RT. His comments came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump labeled him “absolutely crazy” in response to Russia’s most deadly air assault on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The assault occurred between Saturday night and Sunday morning, involving 367 drones and missiles, resulting in 13 civilian deaths and dozens of injuries. Another wave followed from Sunday night into Monday, with 355 drones launched, killing an additional 10 civilians. Ukraine’s air force called it the largest drone-only attack since the war's outset.

President Trump, via Truth Social, condemned Putin's actions, stating, “Something has happened to Putin. He has gone absolutely crazy. Needlessly killing a lot of people.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the comment as emotionally driven rather than strategic. He confirmed the strikes, characterizing them as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure, though specifics were not provided.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the strikes as lacking military purpose, calling them a political decision by Putin aimed at prolonging the conflict.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Ukraine now faces no range restrictions in its use of Western weapons, potentially enabling strikes on Russian military targets. Speculation is growing that Germany may authorize the transfer of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, though this remains unconfirmed.

Despite growing tensions, both sides recently engaged in preliminary ceasefire discussions, following a phone call between Trump and Putin. While Zelensky agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, Putin has instead proposed drafting a memorandum outlining future peace terms.