Kremlin insider: Trump too uninformed about the Ukraine conflict

Kremlin insider: Trump too uninformed about the Ukraine conflict

A senior Kremlin adviser has Donald Trump accused of not being sufficiently informed about the situation in Ukraine after the US president declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire”. Putin confidant Yuri Ushakov responded to Trump's post on Truth Social, in which the president said: "What Vladimir Putin doesn't understand is that without me, a lot of really bad things would have already happened in Russia. And I mean really BAD things. He's playing with fire!"

Criticism of Trump's level of information

Ushakov, a former Russian ambassador to Washington who was part of the negotiating team Moscow sent to Saudi Arabia to speak with U.S. officials later this year, questioned the accuracy of the information Trump is receiving. He explained: "Trump says a lot of things. Of course we read and watch all of this. But in many ways we have come to the conclusion that Trump is not sufficiently informed about what is really happening in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian dispute."

Additional attacks on civilian targets

Ushakov claimed Trump was unaware that Ukraine was carrying out “increasingly massive terrorist attacks on peaceful Russian cities.” He suggested that Trump was merely taking note of Russian attacks and repeated Moscow's false claims that it only attacks military infrastructure or the military-industrial complex.

Contrary to claims of attacking only military targets, Russia recently launched its air campaign against civilian targets in Ukrainian cities intensified. Dozens of civilians have died in recent weeks as a result of Russian drone and missile attacks on residential areas. According to a CNN tally based on data from the Ukrainian Air Force, four of the five largest drone strikes Russia has carried out since it began its major assault on Ukraine took place in the last two weeks. At least 14 civilians, including three children from the same family, were killed in Russian airstrikes over the weekend.

Mourning for the children who were killed

The funeral of the three siblings - 8-year-old Stanislav Martynyuk, his 12-year-old sister Tamara and 17-year-old Roman - took place on Wednesday in their hometown of Korostyshiv in central Ukraine. Hundreds of people, many in tears, filled the town square as their three white coffins were carried in. A local music school where the trio studied rang the “final bell” in their honor, a reference to the traditional long bell that rings to mark the graduation of seniors at the end of their senior year.

Trump sharply criticizes Putin

After the attack that killed the Martynyuk children and was Russia's largest ever airstrike on Ukraine, Trump called the Russian president "absolutely CRAZY." He said: "I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He's gone absolutely CRAZY! He's senselessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being fired into cities in Ukraine for no reason."

Exchange between Trump and Moscow

The standoff between Trump and Moscow escalated on Tuesday when former Russian president and prime minister and security official Dmitry Medvedev responded to Trump's threat, saying: "I only know one really BAD thing - World War III. I hope Trump understands that!"

Medvedev was head of state when Putin was forced to step down to become prime minister because of a constitutional limit on presidential terms - a restriction that has since been lifted, ensuring the possibility of Putin being president for life. A former prime minister and president of Russia, Medvedev was once one of the most influential figures in the country but has increasingly been pushed into the background in recent years and has become known for abusive statements on social media.

Criticism of Medvedev's statements

Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, called Medvedev's comments "reckless." He said on