He didn’t say “please.”

See, that’s the funny thing about dictators. They don’t like being told what to do.

Mussolini wasn’t too fond of outside criticism when he was spreading facism throughout Italy in the 1920s and 1930s.

Idi Amin wasn’t exactly taking opinion polls when he used his brutal army to crush certain ethnic groups and political dissidents in Uganda.

And condemnation did nothing to stop Adolf Hitler’s genocidal campaign when he ran the Nazi party at the height of World War II.

So, what makes President Donald Trump think that a simple social media post is going to be enough to stop Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s shameless assault on Ukraine?

It was only a few weeks ago that Trump berated Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office for not being grateful enough for American aid.

And, it was only a few days ago that Trump blasted Zelenskyy for not recognizing Russian control of Crimea.

So, after practically paving the road for Putin’s troop’s, Trump somehow thought he could end Russia’s latest missile attack on Ukraine’s capital city with the same appeal a little boy might use with his big brother who’s giving him a noogie: “Vladimir, STOP.”

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”

Trump didn’t exactly condemn the missile strikes on Kyiv, the country’s second largest city. The attack killed at least 12 people and wounded about 90 others, according to Ukrainian officials. It was the deadliest attack in almost a year.

Officials said Moscow’s assault struck 13 locations in Kyiv, including residential buildings and civilian infrastructure. A search and rescue operation is underway to find people caught under rubble, according to Ukrainian authorities.

French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the attacks, saying Putin needs to “stop lying.”

“He says 'I want peace' and continues to bomb and kill in Ukraine,” Macron told reporters during a visit to Madagascar.

Trump, for his part, said the strikes weren’t “necessary,” which isn’t the same as saying they were “evil” or “inhumane.”

He also said it was “very bad timing,” which suggests that there might have been a better time for Russia to rain deadly bombs from the sky.

Since Trump made his appeal to Putin on social media, it is fitting that it is also the place where he is receiving the most ridicule.

“That doesn’t even work on my toddler,” one critic posted on X.

“‘Vladimir, STOP!’ is now the official policy of the United States,” posted another.

But this one is the best: “To end the war, text STOP to VLADIMIR.”

So, since “STOP” in all caps with an exclamation point — can’t forget the exclamation point — is the new foreign policy for egomaniacal dictators, let’s see if the strategy works at home.

Donald, STOP! Stop your relentless war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that ignore the brave and selfless past and present sacrifices of countless Americans.

Donald, STOP! Stop your retribution campaign against your perceived enemies who didn’t go along with your attempt to overthrow the government after your loss in 2020. You were simply a sore loser then, and now, you’re a sore winner.

And, Donald, STOP! Just stop it with the tariffs. On Friday, 12 states, including New York, launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block the president’s spate of dangerous tariffs that have upended global trade.

But Trump remains defiant about the tariffs, much like Putin remains determined to continue Russia’s assault on Ukraine.

“The strike objectives were achieved,” a Moscow official said. “All targets were hit.”

Expect Trump’s next post any moment now: “C’mon Vladimir. Play nice.”

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