Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and a top Kremlin official sent a chilling message to Donald Trump on Tuesday, warning that comments about Vladimir Putin could spark World War III.
“Regarding Trump’s words about Putin ‘playing with fire’ and ‘really bad things’ happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII,” Medvedev posted on X. “I hope Trump understands this.”
Medvedev’s response came after Trump blasted Putin over deadly Russian airstrikes in Ukraine, calling the Russian leader reckless and dangerous.
On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social: “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.”
“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia.”
When asked during an interview if he would sanction Russia and Putin, Trump said: “Absolutely. He’s killing a lot of people. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. What the hell happened to him, right?”
“He’s killing a lot of people, and I’m not happy with that,” he added.
The sharp exchange highlights just how tense the relationship is between the U.S. and Russia. Efforts by American officials to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine have stalled, with no progress made.
The war, which began in 2022, has already killed or injured hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Russia’s recent strikes on civilian areas have triggered outrage worldwide.
Back in Washington, Republicans are split on how to handle the war. Some, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, want the U.S. to pull out of the conflict entirely.
“With President Trump, both countries could be pursuing a peace deal that would lead to historic trade deals. That would be overwhelmingly incredible for the people of their countries. But instead, they are both crazy and pursue war. Shame on both of these countries and shame on any politician that wants to continue to engage America in more meddling actions in more foreign wars,” Greene said.
She added, “I along with most Americans want nothing to do with either of these countries while they are at war with one another. And I’ll extend that to any country that wants to engage in war with others. The people of the world want peace and prosperity and that’s what I support.”
Meanwhile, some Republicans in Congress are urging Trump to impose new sanctions on Moscow. They believe economic pressure might force Putin to pull back. Trump, who campaigned on ending the war.
Senator Lindsey Graham is pushing hard for a sanctions bill that already has support from more than 80 lawmakers.
