“Trump Says Putin Has ‘Gone Crazy’—But Is That What’s Really Happening?”

The war in Ukraine has been part of our global daily life since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24,2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the invasion with vague claims that the people of Donbas region asked help, and that Ukraine was committing genocide against them. He called invasion a “special operation that aimed to protect Russian speakers “who have been  bullied”, and that Ukraine has been pursuing a policy of genocide against them for 8 year, and that he started this in a crazy way no different from what President Trump said according to the Ukraine as  Ukrainian government also accused Russia at the UN’s highest court of using “false allegations of genocide”, to end “Ukraine’s demilitarization and denazification” policy by “special military operation” on Ukraine. Now, more Han two years into the war, President Trump said on May 26 that Russian President Vladimir “Putin had gone crazy.”

The question is: Was Putin’s behavior always considerably crazy — or is this Trump’s political spin? how well does that match what we’ve seen since the war began?

What Putin Seeks in Ukraine as a Result?

At the beginning of war, Vladimir Putin emphasized that the conflict was meant to protect the Russian-Speaking population in Ukraine and to prevent Ukraine from drawing closer to NATO. He suggested that any gains at the end of the war should be ensured b whether these two goals were achieved.

Putin based this claim on the verbal assurances supposedly made to Russian leaders in the 1990s particularly to Mikhail Gorbachov, by Wester officials. One often—cited example is US Secretary of State James Baker’s 1990 remark to Gorbachov: “not one inch eastward,” referring  to NATO’s potential expansion. While this statement historically accurate, it’s important to note that no formal treaty or agreement was signed to limit NATO enlargement making Putin’s justification more rhetorical than legally binding.

On May 27, according to the Reuters, Putin’s current demands for peace now include not only Ukrainian neutrality but also an end to NATO expansion altogether. His latest conditions extend far beyond Ukraine’s border suggesting that Putin now seeks to secure the kind of legally binding agreement that Gorbachov never obtained. This would permanently block NATO from expanding into countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and other former Soviet Republics.

Additionally, Putin demands that Ukraine adopt neutral status, meaning it would never join NATO or host any foreign military bases. These first two conditions alone would re establish a modern-day Russian sphere influence —— not through communism, but through a semi authoritarian regime led by Putin, undermining the sovereignty of multiple independent nations.

Other Key demands include:

-The lifting of major Western sanctions imposed since 2022

-Resolution over frozen Russian central bank reserves and sovereign assets

- Legal Protections for Russian speakers in Ukraine

- Recognition of Russian control over the four regions it claimed to annex in 2022:

- Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson

- Withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from those territories

- De facto recognition of Crimea as part of Russia

Addition to that

Who Does Putin Trust in This War?

Even though Russia does not officially have an alliance with other countries, several countries to support Putin and his regime, both economically and strategically. The prominent among them are China, Iran, and North Korea. However, if we look more carefully, we can also include India and Turkey, especially in terms of trade.

according to the CREA Data from February 2025 Russia’s export have largely flowed to China, India, Turkey. These relationships can be broken down into several key categories:

Coal: From 5 December 2022 until the end of February 2025, China purchased 45% of all Russia’s coal exports. India (18%), Turkey (10%), South Korea (10%), and Taiwan (5%) round off the top five buyers list. 

Crude oil: China has bought 47% of Russia’s crude exports, followed by India (38%), the EU (6%), and Turkey (6%). 

Oil products: Turkey, the largest buyer, has purchased 25% of Russia’s oil product exports, followed by China (12%), and Brazil (11%). 

LNG: The EU was the largest buyer, purchasing 50% of Russia’s LNG exports, followed by China (21%), and Japan (18%). 

Pipeline gas: The EU was the largest buyer, purchasing 39% of Russia’s pipeline gas, followed by China (28%), and Turkey (27%). 

These numbers reflect not just economic resilience, but ongoing geopolitical alignment.Beyond economics, military support-particularly from China-shows deeper strategic ties.According to a Bloomberg’s report, China has not only continued to sell drones to Russia but has also restricted drone sales to Ukraine and the West. These drones, known as Magic Drones, are used for aerial photography, battlefield surveillance, and can be modified to carry explosives used by both sides in the war.

Additionally, as early as 2025, Ukrainian officials like Ivashchencko Said that 80% of the critical electronic components in Russian drones originated from China, reinforcing the idea that China plays an active if unofficial role in sustaining Russia's military capabilities.

Do The Western Powers Stands Up to the Challenge?

 Two important questions emerge: Are the Western powers doing the job? And is China under Russia’s sphere or is Russia increasingly under Chinese sphere? But let’s focus on the West.Although the European Union and the United States appear to be providing significant aid to Ukraine, there is troubling evidence that their economic ties to Russia still indirectly benefit Putin's war machine. This raises questions about Europe's true determination - especially given their silence on key contradictions.

On paper, the support is massive: the EU has committed over $158 billion to Ukraine, and the U.S. has allocated $182.8 billion in emergency funding, according to public data. However, as the BBC compiled from CREA, the West continues to fund Russia through ongoing fossil fuel imports particularly pipeline gas, of which the EU purchased 39% directly from Russia. This contradiction undermines the West's messaging and delays the economic pressure meant to weaken the Kremlin.

 Who is Winning This War? ——Will there be end to this Mess?

According to Reuters, peace negotiations are expected to resume in Istanbul on June 2, with Ukraine and Russia preparing a list of demands. Yet despite these efforts, the future of the war remains uncertain.

Ukraine claims to have inflicted significant damage on Russia through what it calls Operation Spider Web. Ukrainian officials estimate that the cost to Russia exceeds $7 billion, including the loss of 34% of its strategic air fleet and 117 drones used in recent Ukrainian strikes as stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Despite these gains, the war is now in its third year, and even with political efforts led by former President Donald Trump, the conflict continues without a clear resolution. According to Reuters, the EU plans to fully phase out Russian gas and liquefied natural gas by 2027, including a ban on existing contracts by the end of 2025. This may eventually tighten the economic noose — but so far, Russia has withstood the pressure.

To put the war’s scale in perspective: Ukraine has 23,317 villages left out of 27,190. If Russia were to take just one village per day. So far, we are only three years in, and it is hard to imagine President Putin sustaining such a campaign for another nearly 64 years.