Vladimir Putin's answer to Donald Trump's 'bullsh*t' remark: 728 drones, 13 missiles

A day after US President Donald Trump stated that he was tired of Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'bullshit', Russia launched a massive air raid at Ukraine which saw 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles pummel Kyiv and other cities. The attacks killed two people and injured several as fiery explosions rocked the city, lighting up the night sky. 

 

The biggest airstrike came a day after the US leader expressed growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless," Trump said at a Cabinet meeting. Trump also reversed the suspension of weapons to Kyiv. 

 

Russia's immediate reaction was so spontaneous that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as a "telling attack" that came precisely at a time when efforts were being made to achieve peace. Not just Zelenskyy, many believe the timing was dubious. "Every time President Trump expresses anger, frustration or even negativity about his Kremlin counterpart, the immediate response from Russia is to step up the ruthless punishment it metes out to its Ukrainian neighbour," according to CNN's analyst. 

 

However, the Kremlin had a sober reaction when asked about Trump's statements. "We are taking it quite calmly,” the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters. "Trump, in general, tends to use a fairly tough style and expressions," he added.

 

Geo-political analysts also state that Russia is no longer concerned about ending the war, as it anticipates achieving its goals in Ukraine and has also "priced in the possibility of new U.S. pressure".

 

Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre, told The New York Times that Putin was unlikely to sacrifice his goals in Ukraine for the sake of improving relations with Trump, as he expects Ukraine to collapse soon. 

 

Many believe Putin’s military ambitions have only increased, and he is bent on achieving his overarching goal after three years of war. The Russian President is prepared for Trump's patience to snap, the NYT report added.

 

"Putin really values and is investing in a personal relationship with Trump,"   Stanovaya said. "But at the same time, he never had any illusions about how American policy toward Russia might develop. And the Russian leadership has always prepared for the worst," he said. 

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