US President Donald Trump says he threatened Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping with bombings in new leaked audio

US President Donald Trump told a group of deep-pocketed donors last year that he once tried to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking Ukraine by threatening to “bomb the sh*t out of Moscow” in retaliation.

In leaked audio from the gathering, part of Mr Trump’s 2024 election campaign and obtained by CNN, the US President described having a blunt exchange with Mr Putin.

“With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the sh*t out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice,” Mr Trump said.

He went on to say he delivered a similar warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping over a potential invasion of Taiwan, telling him the US would bomb Beijing in response.

“He thought I was crazy,” Mr Trump said, adding that despite the tough talk, he and Mr Xi have “never had a problem.”

Mr Trump referenced his past conversations with Mr Putin and Mr Xi while asserting that, had he been President instead of Joe Biden, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza would never have erupted.

It’s a claim he repeatedly made on his campaign trail, even as he now faces mounting pressure to offer solutions to end both conflicts.

On Tuesday, Mr Trump once again voiced his frustration over Mr Putin’s refusal to strike a peace deal, accusing the Russian leader of feeding the US “a lot of bullsh*t”.

“I’m not happy with Putin,” he said during a Cabinet meeting. “I’m very unhappy with them.”

Mr Trump said on Monday that the US would send defensive weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russian advances.

On Tuesday, he said he had approved such a move.

“We’re sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I’ve approved that,” he said.

A decision by the Pentagon to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv last week that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia’s intensifying air strikes and battlefield advances.

The leaked remarks were part of a series of candid moments captured in audio recordings from 2024 fundraisers held in New York and Florida, according to CNN.

Until now, they have never been made public.