U.S. President Donald Trump‘s envoy, Keith Kellogg, on Wednesday reprimanded a senior Russian official for fueling fears of World War Three following Trump’s warning that President Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire” over Ukraine.
As Russian forces advanced in Ukraine, Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said that Putin was playing with fire and cautioned that “REALLY BAD” things would have happened already to Russia if it was not for Trump himself.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realise is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened in Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.
Top Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev, a former president, dismissed Trump’s criticism.
“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!” Medvedev wrote in English on the social media platform X.
U.S. envoy Kellogg quoted Medvedev’s post and said it was reckless.
“Stoking fears of WW III is an unfortunate, reckless comment… and unfitting of a world power,” Kellogg said on X.
“President Trump @POTUS is working to stop this war and end the killing. We await the receipt of the RU Memorandum (Term Sheet) that you promised a week ago. Cease fire now.”
‘Playing With Fire’
Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Vladimir Putin, declaring that the Russian leader is “playing with fire” over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Trump’s comments come as Russian forces continue their military push in eastern Ukraine, intensifying a conflict that has already claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions since its full-scale launch in 2022.
Speaking at a rally, Trump suggested that the situation could spiral dangerously out of control, hinting at the possibility of a broader global confrontation if diplomacy fails.
The remarks have drawn strong reactions from both supporters and critics, with some praising his tough stance and others accusing him of inflaming tensions.
(With inputs from Reuters)
