Trump says that Putin has gone "CRAZY"

May 26, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – President-elect Trump promised that he would end the Ukraine-Russia war on Day one of his presidency. President Donald J. Trump (R) has found it more difficult to settle than he had anticipated. On Sunday the President vented on Truth Social about the situation and said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has gone absolutely CRAZY!"

"I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him," said President Trump. "He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever. 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! Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop. This is a War that would never have started if I were President. This is Zelenskyy's, Putin's, and Biden's War, not "Trump's," I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires, that have been started through Gross Incompetence and Hatred."

The fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) made Russia and Ukraine independent countries – with a border that was arbitrarily established by the criminally insane leadership of the former USSR. Millions of ethnic Russians suddenly found themselves inside the borders of Ukraine, particularly in the Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk. The situation was a powder keg from the beginning. Ukraine inherited the Black Sea Fleet port city of Sevastopol (in Crimea) and a vast nuclear arsenal. Ukraine signed a 1994 agreement with Russia, the United States, and Great Britain guaranteeing Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia has repeatedly violated that treaty and the U.S. and U.K. never honored their commitment to defend Ukraine setting up the current war. Russia occupied the Crimea in 2014. They followed that with a proxy war – largely fought by Russian special forces fighting alongside separatist ethnic Russians.

After the U.S. fled Afghanistan – leaving millions of Afghan allies to the whims of the Taliban – Putin saw the U.S. as weak so attempted to extort more territory from Ukraine. When Ukraine wouldn't budget and refused to give up plans to join NATO and the European Union. Putin invaded Ukraine with an army that had been built and equipped by the old USSR. Ukraine, armed with American Stinger and Lancer missiles, ate up those Russian armored vehicle convoys bearing down on Kiev, Kharkiv, and Kherson. The Ukrainian weapons and tactics stunned the Russians. Europe and the U.S. armed Ukraine with Bradley Fighting Vehicles, western tanks, the MLRS rocket systems, and more. The Ukrainian counter offensive from August to December 2022 drove the Russians back and almost resulted in a Ukrainian victory. Since then Russia has dug in, adopted trench warfare tactics, and both sides have adopted ever more sophisticated military drones. The drones kill tanks, men, trucks, aircraft, targets far outside of the lines including civilian population centers, and even ships. In December Ukraine invaded the Kursk region of Russia. Despite early successes that campaign ended in disaster with Ukraine forced to flee back to its territory and Russia exploiting the situation all along the front in Ukraine.

Russia is unlikely to accept peace terms along the current frontlines as Ukraine would still control much on the Donbass region. Ukraine is unlikely to agree to a peace that permanently cedes over ten percent of the country to Russia.

While President Trump would like to see a peace treaty, neither side appears poised to win this war on the battlefield and neither appears like they are going to collapse any time soon.