It was a sentence only Donald Trump could formulate – direct, glaring, maximally derailing: “Putin has gone absolutely crazy.” No diplomatic nuance, no caveat, no subtext. A verdict as sharp as it was surprising, coming from the very U.S. president who had long portrayed himself as a Putin sympathizer, who never uttered a clear word about war crimes but always kept the big deal in sight.
And now this rupture – and the reaction from Moscow? Skillfully reserved, almost smug: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Trump’s remarks were an expression of “emotional overload of all involved.” No counter-insult, no diplomatic scandal – but a calculated mirror held up to the U.S. president, reflecting his own impulsiveness back at him. It is a rhetorical move that lands. Where Trump chooses loudness, the Kremlin answers with psychological diagnosis.
But what lies behind this seemingly cool response? It is strategy. Portraying one's opponent as emotionally unstable automatically calls into question their judgment, leadership ability, and credibility. Especially Trump, who in truth always seeks to present himself as a rational dealmaker, is hit hard by such a jab. And yet, it is not only a personal affront, but also a sign of the new tension between the former power players Trump and Putin.
Trump’s “crazy” remark does not exist in a vacuum. It came after the most intense Russian airstrike on Ukraine since the war began, with 367 drones and missiles launched – 13 people killed, dozens injured. The global public was shaken; even in Washington, officials spoke openly for the first time about Putin’s “unhinged” behavior. But instead of responding institutionally, Trump – true to form – opted for a personal attack.
And that is part of the problem: Emotion replaces strategy. Where smart diplomacy is needed, the U.S. president offers a show format that turns war into a personal drama between men with oversized egos. The result: Moscow wins by staying calm. It presents itself as the controlled power that does not lose composure even under maximum provocation – a narrative that resonates particularly well in the Global South.
At the same time, Trump’s outburst reveals a truth that cannot be diagnosed away: Putin’s war of aggression has crossed every boundary. The number of attacks, their brutality, their targeting of civilian infrastructure – all of this justifies strong words. But whoever speaks them must do so with measure and responsibility, not in the style of a Truth Social post between two golf tournaments.
That Trump, of all people, also criticized Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at this moment only makes the situation more absurd. According to Trump, Zelenskyy harms his own country with his rhetoric – a statement almost unmatched in cynicism, considering who made it.
In the end, an image remains: A president shouting “crazy” – and a regime coldly smiling back: “Not him, us.” The battle for interpretive dominance has begun – and as so often in propaganda, the rule holds: He who shouts, loses. He who stays cold, wins. Only the truth is left behind. And with it, the hope for reason.
English 
German 
