President Trump accused President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia of “playing with fire” on Tuesday, a day after the president claimed he was considering placing additional sanctions on Russia for its bombardment of civilian targets in Ukrainian cities.
But after four months of empty threats against Mr. Putin, it remained to be seen whether Mr. Trump’s latest harsh comments were an indicator of a new aggressive phase against Russia or another fakeout in the conflict.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened in Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Mr. Trump said in a statement on social media. “He’s playing with fire!”
Mr. Trump’s statement immediately prompted a response from Dmitri Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Kremlin’s security council, who appeared to warn Mr. Trump about escalating tensions to the point of war.
“I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII,” Mr. Medvedev said, in his own social media post. “I hope Trump understands this!”
The exchange came after Russia launched the largest onslaught against Ukrainian cities in the last three years, bombing mostly civilian targets like residential areas in Kyiv.
In recent weeks, the United States has appeared to step away from the conflict and has sent mixed messages about diplomatic efforts to end the war. On Sunday, Mr. Trump insisted he was considering levying economic penalties on Russia, but it remained to be seen if he would take such action.
The White House did not answer questions seeking an update on Mr. Trump’s stance on sanctions against Russia or whether the administration was willing to send more aid or weapons to Ukraine.
It was also unclear whether the White House would support a bipartisan effort in Congress to escalate pressure on Russia. Senate Republicans and Democrats alike have signed on to legislation that would impose sweeping sanctions on Moscow. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, an ally of Mr. Trump’s leading the bipartisan effort, wrote in the The Wall Street Journal that he had been coordinating with the White House on the bill “since its inception.”
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, declined to say on Tuesday whether or not Mr. Trump supported the bill.
“The Russia-Ukraine war is Joe Biden’s fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal,” she said in a statement. “President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table.”
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.
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