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US President Donald Trump has for the first time openly described Russia as the aggressor in its war against Ukraine, marking a notable shift in his stance toward Moscow. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, 14 September, Trump commented on the latest casualty figures from the conflict, saying, “8,000 soldiers have died this week, from both countries. Some more from Russia, but when you’re the aggressor, you lose more.”
“When you’re the aggressor — you lose more” — For the first time, Trump publicly called Russia the aggressor in the war against Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/Kaackm5UsG
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) September 15, 2025
Previously, Trump had avoided condemning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. In February 2025, his administration blocked a UN resolution that upheld Ukraine’s territorial integrity and condemned Russia’s aggression, aligning instead with Russia and North Korea. Washington also opposed a G7 statement labeling Russia as an aggressor. In earlier remarks, Trump even placed part of the blame for the conflict on Ukraine, saying in April 2025 that “you don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.”
However, over the summer, Trump’s approach toward the Kremlin began to harden, driven in part by frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin obstructing Trump’s attempts to arrange direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump described the situation as unexpectedly challenging, stating, “I stopped seven wars, and I thought this one was going to be easy for me, but this has turned out to be tough.”
Despite the tougher rhetoric, Trump has yet to succeed in bringing Putin to the negotiating table. The US administration is now under growing pressure to impose stricter sanctions on Russia. Trump indicated plans to escalate sanctions, but only after Europe stops buying Russian oil and strengthens its own restrictions. Hungary and Slovakia remain the EU’s largest importers of Russian energy, continuing to resist efforts by the European Commission to reduce reliance on Moscow. Trump also warned that his patience with Putin is “running out,” signaling the potential for a firmer US stance in the coming months.
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