US President Donald Trump has for the first time openly called Russia the aggressor in its war in Ukraine, marking a significant shift in his stance towards Moscow. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump commented on the latest casualty figures from the conflict, saying: “8,000 soldiers have died this week on both sides. A little more than Russia, but when you’re the aggressor, you lose more.”

Trump has so far avoided condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. In February 2025, his administration blocked a UN resolution that would have affirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity and condemned Russian aggression, instead siding with Russia and North Korea (in that particular UN vote). Washington has also opposed a G7 statement that identified Russia as the aggressor. In earlier statements, Trump has even partially blamed Ukraine for the conflict, saying in April 2025: “You don’t start a war against someone 20 times bigger than you and then hope people give you some missiles.”

Over the summer, however, Trump's approach to the Kremlin began to harden, in part due to frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was obstructing Trump's attempts to organize direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump described the situation as an unexpected challenge, stating,"I stopped seven wars and I thought this one would be easy for me, but it turned out to be difficult."

Despite the tougher rhetoric, Trump has yet to convince Putin to come to the negotiating table. The US administration is under increasing pressure to impose tougher sanctions on Russia. Trump has said he plans to tighten sanctions, but only after Europe stops buying Russian oil and tightens its own restrictions. Hungary and Slovakia remain the EU’s largest importers of Russian energy and continue to resist the European Commission’s efforts to reduce dependence on Moscow. Trump has also warned that his patience with Putin is “running out,” suggesting a possible tougher US stance in the coming months.