President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Russian leader Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire”, expressing renewed frustration as Moscow continues to pummel Ukraine while all dragging out US efforts to secure a ceasefire deal.
It was the second time since Sunday that Mr Trump was critical of Mr Putin, a marked change in tone to his normally more diplomatic and deferential approach as he tries to broker an end to a war that began more than three years ago.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realise is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean really bad,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform
Russia recently conducted some of the biggest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine since Moscow's invasion of the country in early 2022.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who is now a top security official for Mr Putin, responded to Mr Trump's comments by invoking the risk of nuclear war.
"Regarding Trump's words about Putin 'playing with fire' and 'really bad things' happening to Russia. I only know of one really bad thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this," Mr Medvedev posted on X.
On Sunday, Mr Trump called Mr Putin “crazy” after an earlier series of intense attacks on Ukraine. He said he would “absolutely” consider additional sanctions on Russia.
“I don't know what's wrong with him,” he said. “What the hell happened to him, right? He's killing a lot of people and I'm not happy with that.”
Mr Trump took office in January promising to swiftly end the war in Ukraine.
The latest intensified Russia attacks threaten to set back US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire mediated by the Vatican. In March, Kyiv accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US, which Russia rejected.
Mr Trump has previously resisted calls by Senate Republicans and European leaders to put more pressure on Russia to end the war, although he did say in March that he was “strongly considering” sanctions against Moscow after a strong Russian counter-offensive.
Senator Lindsey Graham, an ally of Mr Trump, said in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published on Tuesday that he has co-ordinated with the White House on a bill that would put Russia on a “trade island”.
“If Mr Putin continues to play games, the Senate will act,” Mr Graham said. “I’m hoping for the best but when it comes to the thug in Moscow, we should all prepare for more of the same.”
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Mr Trump has several options if he chooses to punish Russia.
"There are many different things that the President has at his disposal to make sure that our position is felt and that that can be used to make an impact to stop this carnage," Ms Bruce told reporters.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qualifier A, Muscat
(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv)
Fixtures
Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final
UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
