Trump's Shift on Putin: From Praise to Pressure

In the beginning Trump had little to say about the war in Ukraine.

He labeled Putin smart when Russia invaded in 2022, and he blamed Biden. He did not criticize Putin at all. All he said was that the war wouldn’t have occurred if it were he who was still in office.

Trump repeatedly said later, that he could end the war in one day. He would never explain how, just that he knows both leaders and could make a deal.

Then, things changed in April 2025.

Russia launched missiles at Kyiv. One hit an apartment building. Twelve people died. Com, offering a rare snapshot into the rhythms of an administration that tends to avoid expressions of remorse, it was shocking — even to Trump.

In the first time, Trump said to Putin, ‘Stop!’ He posted it online. He said that attack did not need to happen.

Trump then traveled to Rome for the Pope Francis funeral soon after. There, he met with Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy privately. But after that meeting, Trump did sound different.

The problem was Putin didn’t really want peace, he said. Russia bombarded as if it were talking.

Then, Trump did something that was almost unheard of: he supported additional sanctions against Russia — on everything — banks, energy.

Now he sounds frustrated. He believed he could dash it all in a few days. Russia, however, is not making it easy.

Trump’s view of Putin? It’s not friendly anymore. Not even close.