Tensions escalate as Trump and Kremlin trade blame amid renewed Russian strikes on Ukraine

The rhetoric between U.S. President Donald Trump and the Kremlin has intensified, as both sides trade sharp words in the wake of renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine.

(NBC)- The rhetoric between U.S. President Donald Trump and the Kremlin has intensified, as both sides trade sharp words in the wake of renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine. President Trump slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, saying, “I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin.” The president later described Putin as “absolutely crazy” in a post on his Truth Social platform.

In response, a Kremlin spokesperson accused Trump of suffering from “emotional overload,” a striking reversal in tone from just a week earlier, when Trump characterized a phone call with Putin as positive and productive, saying it included talks about potentially ending the war in Ukraine.

The verbal clash comes as Ukraine reels from a new wave of Russian airstrikes. Ukrainian officials say more than 700 missiles and drones were launched Sunday alone, killing at least 18 civilians—including children. Residents of hard-hit cities like Zhytomyr are pleading for the world’s attention.

“Let the world wake up and see. How long can they bomb children?” said Iryna Volotovsk, a resident of Zhytomyr.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the attacks by calling on the U.S., European nations, and others to impose new sanctions on Russia. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said such measures could serve as “a guaranteed means of forcing Russia not only to cease fire, but also to show respect.”

 Trump also directed criticism at Zelenskyy, writing on Truth Social that the Ukrainian leader is “doing his country no favors by talking the way he does,” and warning that “everything out of his mouth causes problems. I don’t like it, and it better stop.”