In late May 2025, Russia unleashed its largest drone and missile barrage against Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began. Over 350 Iranian-made Shahed drones were launched in one night – part of a massive three-night escalation that killed several civilians and shattered hopes for an imminent peace treaty. This spike in attacks came just as the U.S. was attempting to broker a peace agreement to end the three-year war. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump blasted Vladimir Putin as “absolutely CRAZY” for intensifying the bombardment during sensitive ceasefire efforts. Trump’s outburst on Truth Social – “He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people… for no reason whatsoever” – signaled growing frustration with Putin’s behavior.
With peace talks stalled and Europe bracing for further instability, two very different narratives vie for our understanding of Moscow’s ferocity.
1. Calculated Pressure: Escalation as Leverage
Veteran conflict analysts note that, in many wars, combatants intensify violence just before peace talks, forcing opponents to the table from a place of weakness. This May, some in Moscow’s inner circle reportedly view the drone blitz as a means to:
- Demonstrate military might and sap Ukraine’s morale.
- Create bargaining chips—territorial gains or a battered economy—for future negotiations.
- Pressure Western backers into pushing Kyiv toward concessions, fearing further civilian suffering.
In Kharkiv, 32-year-old aid volunteer Olena Petriv described the toll:
“They hit our power station at dawn. We sat in darkness for hours, phones dead, children crying. Then they offer talks—but at what cost?”
Behind closed doors, Russian envoys have floated low-level dialogue—only on Russia’s terms: Ukrainian recognition of Crimea’s annexation and limits on NATO ties. To strategists, these strikes aren’t madness—they’re cold, deliberate moves on a brutal chessboard.
See – Donald Trump’s Next 1300 Days
2. A Leader Going Mad: When Strategy Gives Way to Chaos
Yet others argue Putin’s gambits betray a fraying mind. In the Kremlin, whispers of “emotional overload” point to erratic decision-making—orders issued in isolation, veiled nuclear threats made without context.
The Kremlin itself, through spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, dismissed Trump’s “crazy” remark as a result of “emotional overload,” even as it defended the strikes as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks (Reuters). But inside Russia, unease grows. A senior Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned:
“He’s lashing out unpredictably. Even his generals don’t know what tomorrow brings.”
On the streets of Zaporizhzhia, retired teacher Ihor Sukhenko still trembles recalling the night raid:
“I hugged my granddaughter until dawn. This isn’t war—it’s madness.”
If Putin truly teeters on the edge, no amount of leverage can secure a stable peace. Negotiators would have no guarantee that any promise wouldn’t dissolve with the next overnight outburst.
Which Reality Holds?
Is this a ruthless, calculated push for diplomatic advantage—or the unravelling of a once-formidable leader, now heedless of the world he risks dragging into chaos?
3Narratives invites you to weigh these visions, listen to those living through them, and decide:
Are we witnessing high-stakes negotiations — or madness? An absolutely Crazy Putin or a brilliant warrior? You decide.
| Scenario 1: Russia Escalates Before Negotiating Peace | Details |
|---|---|
| Context | Prolonged stalemate leads to intensified military operations. |
| Actions | Aerial bombardments, ground offensives, cyberattacks targeting infrastructure. |
| Diplomatic Moves | Proposes peace talks with preconditions favoring Russia (e.g., territorial recognition). |
| Outcome | Pressure on Ukraine to negotiate, potential acceptance of Russian terms. |
| Narrative Angle | Focus on strategic calculations, impact on civilians, and diplomatic maneuvers. |
| Scenario 2: Vladimir Putin Has Gone Mad | Details |
|---|---|
| Context | Putin’s erratic behavior, as noted by Trump in May 2025, leads to reckless actions. |
| Manifestations | Indiscriminate attacks, wild threats, historical revisionism in speeches. |
| International Reaction | Condemnation, potential NATO intervention, calls for sanctions. |
| Internal Dynamics | Growing dissent, potential coups, moves to sideline Putin. |
| Peace Prospects | Challenging negotiations, possible internal efforts for peace. |
| Narrative Angle | Psychological state of Putin, internal Russian tension, international response. |
Key Citations
- Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Prompting Peace Negotiations
- Vietnam War – De-escalation, Negotiation, Vietnamization | Britannica
- Escalation as a Path to Peace: Risk Tolerance and Negotiations in Ukraine | CSIS
- PACE website, Speech by Yasser Arafat
- Peace treaty – Wikipedia
- Peace and Security | United Nations
- Negotiating Peace with Your Enemy: The Problem of Costly Concessions | Journal of Global Security Studies | Oxford Academic
- Conflict escalation – Wikipedia
- When Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clash: Can Both Prevail Together? | Beyond Intractability
- How do you negotiate peace? – Berghof Foundation
- War in Ukraine | Global Conflict Tracker
- Ukraine War | Latest News & Updates| BBC News
- Reuters Latest Ukraine and Russia at War News | Top Headlines on the conflict in Ukraine | Reuters
- Russian invasion of Ukraine – Wikipedia
- Russo-Ukrainian War – Wikipedia
- Russia-Ukraine war | Today’s latest from Al Jazeera
- Ukraine: Conflict at the Crossroads of Europe and Russia | Council on Foreign Relations
- Seven ways Russia’s war on Ukraine has changed the world
- Russia’s war in Ukraine – DW
- Russia-Ukraine war | Latest news and analysis
- Trump says Putin has ‘gone absolutely CRAZY,’ considering more sanctions on Russia | Reuters
- Trump says Putin ‘has gone absolutely CRAZY!’
- Kremlin calls Trump ’emotional’ after US president says Putin is ‘crazy’ – BBC News
- Everyone is emotional says Kremlin, after Trump calls Putin ‘absolutely crazy’ – BBC News
- Trump Rebukes Putin, Calling Escalation of Attacks ‘Absolutely Crazy’ – The New York Times
- Trump calls Putin ‘absolutely crazy’ following Russia’s latest barrage on Ukraine
- Trump says Putin ‘has gone absolutely crazy’ after major Russian attacks on Ukraine | CNN Politics
