US President Donald Trump signaled his displeasure with Russian President Vladimir Putin by sharing a New York Post editorial sharply criticizing the Kremlin and calling for stronger measures against Russia.
The editorial, titled “Putin ‘attack’ bluster shows Russia is the one standing in the way of peace”, was shared by Trump on social media on Wednesday without additional commentary. It highlighted Trump’s optimism following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on a potential peace deal, which suffered a setback after Putin’s call to Trump. During the call, Putin claimed Ukrainian drones targeted one of his residences—a claim Ukraine has denied.
The Post editorial called Russia’s allegations “lies, hatred, and death,” and suggested that Putin’s accusations were designed to derail ongoing peace efforts. It emphasized that Putin “is not an honest broker” and urged the US to escalate penalties against Russia rather than offer further concessions.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe had briefed Trump on intelligence regarding Russia’s claims. US officials have expressed skepticism about the alleged attack, with a CIA assessment finding no evidence that such an incident occurred.
The editorial also criticized Russia’s international actions, including its support for Iran and Venezuela, framing them as obstacles to Trump’s agenda. It concluded: “Spare us his crocodile tears and turn up the heat.”
Trump, meanwhile, described himself as “very angry” over the purported incident, stating that attacking a leader’s residence “is not the right time” for such actions, even amid ongoing hostilities.
