U.S. President Donald Trump launched a blistering critique of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, describing the Kremlin leader’s comments on the war in Ukraine as “bullshit” and announcing renewed American support for Kyiv in the form of additional military aid.
The expletive-laced outburst, made during a televised cabinet meeting at the White House, underscored Trump’s increasing frustration with Putin over the ongoing war, now in its fourth year.
“We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” Trump told reporters bluntly.
“He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Trump’s remarks followed a recent phone call with Putin that failed to move the needle on a peace settlement for Ukraine. Expressing his dissatisfaction with the lack of progress, Trump repeated that he is “very unhappy” with the Russian leader’s actions. He added that he is “looking at [new sanctions] very strongly” in response to a Senate proposal aimed at punishing Russia further.
This toughened stance marked a departure from Trump’s earlier pivot toward diplomacy with Moscow and came just one day after the White House reversed an earlier decision to pause certain U.S. arms shipments to Ukraine. The U.S. president confirmed that the delivery of new defensive systems had been approved.
“Putin is not treating human beings right. He’s killing too many people. So we’re sending some defensive weapons and I’ve approved that,” Trump said.
According to the news outlet Axios, Trump has authorized the shipment of ten Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine. Additionally, he instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to urge defense manufacturers to ramp up production.
“We have to step them up, Pete, and let them make it at a much higher rate,” he added.
Kremlin Responds to U.S. Aid, Downplays Trump’s Comments
While Moscow did not immediately respond to Trump’s blunt criticism of Putin, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that Washington’s decision to send more weapons would only serve to prolong the war.
“It is obvious of course that these actions probably do not align with attempts to promote a peaceful resolution,” Peskov told Russian media.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the renewed U.S. support and said on Tuesday that talks with the U.S. would be intensified to secure air defense systems.
“We now have the necessary political statements and decisions, and they must be implemented as soon as possible to protect our people,” Zelensky said.
Escalating Tensions on the Battlefield
On the ground, the situation in Ukraine remains volatile. Russian forces claimed on Monday that they had captured Dachne, a village in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, marking what would be Moscow’s first confirmed territorial gain in that area. The region is known for its strategic industrial and mining value and has come under increasingly heavy Russian aerial bombardment.
Last month, Moscow announced that its troops had crossed into the Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time. On Monday, Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone strike targeting Ukrainian military recruitment facilities, while Kyiv said it retaliated with a drone attack on a Russian ammunition plant in the Moscow region.
Ukraine’s armed forces rejected the claim that Russia had taken control of any part of Dnipropetrovsk, stating that its troops had successfully “repelled” attacks, including in the vicinity of Dachne.
Though not among the five Ukrainian territories — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea — that Russia has formally annexed or claimed, Dnipropetrovsk’s vulnerability marks a concerning new front in the war.
Ukrainian military analyst Oleksiy Kopytko described the current situation as “difficult” but stressed that Ukraine’s defenses are holding firm.
“Our troops are holding their ground quite steadily,” he told AFP.
What You Should Know
President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric on Ukraine, labeling it “bullshit” and reversing a previous decision to pause U.S. arms shipments to Kyiv.
Trump approved the delivery of new defensive weapons, including 10 Patriot systems, amid escalating Russian attacks. The Kremlin has dismissed these efforts as counterproductive to peace. Meanwhile, Russia claims to have gained territory in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, a claim denied by Ukrainian forces, who continue to fight on multiple fronts.
