Tensions between the United States and Russia escalated publicly on Wednesday as the war in Ukraine intensifies. Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "playing with fire," while Moscow has reportedly deployed 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northern Sumy region.
As global leaders continue to debate the prospects for peace, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II shows no sign of easing. Both sides are increasingly relying on drone warfare, and Russia is making gains at critical points along the front lines.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that his previous leadership had prevented greater disasters in Russia. “What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened in Russia — and I mean REALLY BAD. He's playing with fire," Trump wrote.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev dismissed Trump’s remarks with a stark warning. “I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — World War III. I hope Trump understands this,” Medvedev posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Trump’s advisor, Keith Kellogg, condemned Medvedev’s comments as reckless. “Stoking fears of WWIII is an unfortunate, reckless comment... and unfitting of a world power,” Kellogg wrote.
Despite the exchange of sharp rhetoric, diplomatic channels remain active. After a two-hour call with Trump on May 19, Putin said he had agreed to work on a memorandum with Ukraine that outlines a potential peace framework and ceasefire timeline. Kellogg confirmed that the U.S. was awaiting Russia’s draft of the proposed accord. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the next round of peace talks would be announced soon.
The war, which began in February 2022 when Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, followed eight years of conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Russia now controls nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory. While Moscow has accelerated its military advances over the past year, both sides have suffered heavy casualties and enormous economic costs.
In the latest military developments, Russia claimed it had downed 296 Ukrainian drones across 13 regions overnight. Ukraine, in turn, reported that Russia launched 88 drones and five ballistic missiles.
Following Russia’s expulsion of Ukrainian forces from the western part of Kursk region, Russian troops have crossed into Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, capturing several villages. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the buildup of 50,000 Russian troops near Sumy but assured that Kyiv had taken measures to thwart a large-scale offensive.
President Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia seeks a "buffer zone" along its border with Ukraine. Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov accused NATO of exploiting the crisis to expand its military presence across Eastern Europe and the Baltics, but emphasized that Russia was continuing to advance along the entire Ukrainian front.
