Trump: Zelensky Gave Putin Justification to Launch Devastating Strikes on Ukraine

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump said that recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian military infrastructure—particularly nuclear-capable bombers and railway bridges—have dangerously escalated the conflict and given Moscow justification for a powerful military response.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump commented on Kiev’s drone strikes on Russian airbases and sabotage of railway lines that resulted in the deaths of at least seven people and injuries to over 120, including children.

The attacks, which targeted both civilian and freight lines, were followed by a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, during which Putin emphasized that Russia's retaliation was justified.

“I didn’t like it,” Trump said of the Ukrainian escalation. “They gave Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night… When I saw it, I said: ‘Here we go… now it’s going to be a strike.’”

In response, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that Moscow had launched a large-scale retaliatory operation early Friday. The strikes reportedly involved air-, land-, and sea-based missiles, as well as UAVs. Russian forces targeted Ukrainian defense industry facilities, including drone assembly workshops, training centers, weapon storage facilities, and military repair plants.

Putin condemned the destruction of the railway bridges as a terrorist act by the “illegitimate regime in Kiev,” claiming it marked Ukraine’s shift into what he described as a “terrorist organization.” He also suggested Kiev’s aggressive moves were aimed at sabotaging peace talks being facilitated with US support.

Meanwhile, Russian officials have alleged that Trump is receiving filtered or biased intelligence on the conflict from factions in Washington seeking to prolong US involvement in the war.