ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "playing with fire" as Moscow continues to strike Ukraine.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Putin does not realize that "if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD."

“He’s playing with fire," said Trump.

The warning follows Trump's criticism on Sunday when he said Putin has "gone absolutely CRAZY" after Russia launched airstrikes on Ukraine for three consecutive nights.

Trump expressed confusion about Putin's behavior. "I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him," he said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed those remarks as "emotional overload," downplaying Trump’s criticism.