U.S. President Donald Trump has recently increased his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning again on the 27th (local time) that "Putin is playing with fire."
On the same day, Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social, "Putin is not realizing that if it weren't for me, really bad things would have happened to Russia," adding that "he is playing with fire." This is interpreted as a criticism of Putin's lukewarm stance on peace negotiations regarding Ukraine.
A senator considered an aide to Trump also hinted at the possibility of high-intensity sanctions from the U.S. against Russia.
Senator Lindsey Graham emphasized through a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) op-ed on the same day that "if President Putin continues to play games, the Senate will act" and "we must prepare for a different situation regarding the thug in Moscow (President Putin)."
Earlier, Senator Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal jointly proposed a sanctions bill to impose a 500% tariff on U.S. exports to countries purchasing Russian crude oil and uranium.
Trump continues to ramp up his criticism of Russia. On the 25th, as Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine, killing civilians, he called President Putin "completely insane" and, when asked by reporters if he was considering additional sanctions against Russia, he replied, "Absolutely."
Trump has claimed since before last year's election that "if I become president, I will end the Ukraine war within 24 hours," but has been unable to achieve any substantial progress. Consequently, U.S. media has analyzed that "Trump's statements and social media posts are now meaningless."