President Donald Trump for the first time publicly called Russia the aggressor in the Ukraine war, signaling a tougher stance toward Moscow as pressure mounts for harsher sanctions.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday publicly labeled Russia the aggressor in the war against Ukraine, marking a sharp shift in his stance toward Moscow.
“8,000 soldiers have died this week, from both countries. Some more from Russia, but when you’re the aggressor, you lose more,” Trump told reporters.
The president had previously resisted condemning Russia, even rejecting a U.N. motion and G7 statement in February that backed Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
In April, he blamed Kyiv for provoking Moscow, saying: “You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.”
Trump’s tone has hardened over the summer as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to resist his push for direct peace talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “I think I have to do all the talking. They hate each other so much they can’t breathe,” Trump said.
The U.S. now faces calls for tougher sanctions, though Trump insists Europe must first end Russian oil purchases.