The China Mail - Trump blows hot and cold on Putin, with Ukraine war in limbo

The Republican billionaire, who returned to office in January vowing to end the war "in 24 hours," has long appeared to side with his Russian counterpart, frequently speaking of him with gushing admiration.

Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile has been a frequent target of Trump's ire, as seen with the spectacular dressing down of the Ukrainian leader in a tense Oval Office meeting in March.

But the US president has in recent weeks shown growing frustration with Putin's position in deadlocked truce negotiations with Kyiv.

And in statements made on Sunday, Trump, who is facing increasing calls from Republican lawmakers to take a tougher stance against Putin, seemed to change his tone.

After Moscow unleashed a particularly deadly barrage of drones against its western neighbor, Trump said on his Truth Social platform that he believed Putin "wants ALL of Ukraine".

Pursuing such a goal, he warned in a rare rebuke of the Russian leader, "will lead to the downfall of Russia!"

- 'Absolutely crazy' -

"I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!"

There was little sign his criticism made an impact, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggesting Monday the "very critical moment" was fraught with "emotional reactions".

And following Trump's outburst, Moscow fired 355 drones at Ukraine overnight in the biggest such attack since Moscow's 2022 invasion, according to Kyiv, a day after Russian strikes killed 13 people.

Russia's weekend onslaught came as diplomatic efforts to end the three-year war stepped up, with a prisoner exchange and direct talks between the two sides.

European leaders voiced hope that Trump's expressed anger might signal a shift ahead.

"President Trump realizes that when President Putin said on the phone he was ready for peace, or told his envoys he was ready for peace, he lied," France's leader Emmanuel Macron told reporters during a trip to Vietnam.

"We have seen once again in recent hours Donald Trump express his anger, a form of impatience," the French president said.

"I simply hope now that this translates into action."

- US credibility 'at stake' -

Macron said it was time to threaten Russia with "much more massive sanctions" to persuade it to end the conflict.

"The credibility of the United States is at stake."

But it remains unclear what path Trump might choose in coming days, especially since he has not let up on his relentless criticism of Ukraine's leader.

In his social media post on Sunday, Trump also slammed Zelensky, who had warned earlier that "the silence of America, the silence of others around the world only encourages Putin."

Zelensky was "doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does," Trump wrote.

"Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop," he said.

While flush with bluster, Trump's foreign policy achievements to date remain rather meager, be it on Ukraine, the Iran nuclear program or the war raging in Gaza.

During his first term, Trump also boasted of unique access and deal-making potential, including meetings with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

While unprecedented for a Western leader, those meetings ultimately appeared to do little to change Kim's provocative behavior.

M.Chau--ThChM