(PatriotNews.net) – Trump calls Putin “crazy” and warns Russia’s leader he’s “playing with fire” as the State Department gears up for maximum pressure while Russia launches unprecedented drone assaults on Ukraine.
At a Glance
- Trump posted stern warnings to Putin on Truth Social, calling him “crazy” and cautioning against “playing with fire”
- Russia recently launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began in 2022, with over 600 drones and dozens of missiles
- The US State Department has stated it will apply “maximum pressure” on Russia if peace talks with Ukraine fail
- Despite current sanctions, Russia’s economy has survived, but experts predict it may run out of liquid reserves by fall 2024
- US lawmakers are ready to pass bipartisan sanctions against Russia, which Trump has not yet endorsed
Trump’s Warning to Putin Falls on Deaf Russian Ears
While our soon-to-be-reinstated President Trump has taken to Truth Social to call out Putin’s insanity, the Kremlin is doing what it does best – deflecting and dismissing. Trump rightly labeled Putin as “crazy” and warned him about “playing with fire” as Russia unleashed what can only be described as a terror campaign against Ukraine with its largest aerial assault since the conflict began. Yet, in typical fashion, the Kremlin has brushed off these stern warnings as merely an “emotional overload.” It’s almost comical how a regime that’s launching 355 attack drones in a single day tries to act like the rational party in this situation.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce delivered a much-needed reality check to Moscow, stating: “If the Russians cared about the nature of how [peace efforts are] proceeding, they would be thinking less about [the president’s statements] and more about what they could do – which is in their hands – to stop the carnage and the slaughter that’s happening right now.” While Biden’s administration has proven woefully ineffective at deterring Russian aggression, at least they’re saying the right things on their way out the door.
Biden’s Sanctions: A Failed Strategy That Needs Trump’s Touch
Let’s be honest about the current sanctions regime against Russia – it’s been an embarrassing failure of the Biden administration. Despite all the tough talk about isolating Russia from global markets following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian economy has managed not only to survive but even grow modestly. Meanwhile, Europe has actually INCREASED its dependence on Russian natural gas from 2023 to 2024. If that doesn’t scream incompetence from our current leadership and their European counterparts, I don’t know what does.
“When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, it set off an unprecedented wave of Western economic pressure.”
What’s particularly galling is that many Western businesses, including American firms, continue to operate in Russia, effectively funding Putin’s war machine while our government sends billions of taxpayer dollars to Ukraine. The hypocrisy is staggering. However, there may be cracks forming in Russia’s economic armor. The country’s hard currency reserves have significantly decreased, and experts predict Russia may run out of liquid reserves by fall 2024. This presents a golden opportunity for Trump to implement a true “maximum pressure” campaign – one that actually works, unlike the current administration’s half-hearted measures.
What Real “Maximum Pressure” Looks Like
The State Department has threatened to apply “maximum pressure” on Russia if peace talks fail, but given their track record, this likely amounts to nothing more than empty rhetoric. What America needs is Trump’s proven approach – the same strategy he successfully deployed against Iran during his first term. A real pressure campaign would force Russia to the negotiating table by making the costs of continuing this conflict unbearable, instead of the current approach which has allowed Putin to weather the storm while Ukrainian civilians suffer under relentless drone attacks.
U.S. lawmakers are reportedly ready to pass a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Russia, which Trump has yet to endorse. While I’m generally skeptical of anything “bipartisan” these days – which usually means conservatives giving in to leftist demands – a truly robust sanctions package that actually cuts off Russia’s ability to fund its war machine might be worth considering. The key difference would be Trump’s masterful negotiating skills and willingness to use America’s economic might as leverage, rather than the current administration’s strategy of virtue signaling while writing blank checks to Ukraine.
Copyright 2025, PatriotNews.net
