US President Donald Trump for the first time called Russia an "aggressor" in the war against Ukraine, demonstrating a tightening of his position towards Moscow, writes "Politico".
"8,000 soldiers died this week on both sides. A little more than Russia, but when you are the aggressor, you lose more," Trump told reporters on Sunday.
So far, the president has refused to condemn Moscow for the invasion. In February, the US joined Russia and North Korea in rejecting a UN resolution defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and Washington also objected to a G-7 declaration that called Russia an aggressor. In April, Trump even blamed Kiev for the war, saying, "You don't start a war against someone 20 times your size and then expect missiles from others."
The change in tone comes after months of efforts by the administration to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin, who continues to refuse direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "I stopped seven wars and I thought this one would be easy for me, but it turned out to be hard. They [Zelensky and Putin] hate each other so much they can't breathe," Trump said.
The United States is considering new sanctions against Moscow, but the president has made it clear that they will only be imposed if Europe steps up its own measures and stops buying Russian energy. "The Europeans are our friends, but they still buy oil from Russia. "I don't want them to buy oil, and their sanctions aren't tough enough," Trump stressed.
According to the European Commission, Hungary and Slovakia remain among the largest customers of Russian energy in the EU and oppose an accelerated end to imports.
On Friday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Politico that Washington was aiming for a "complete displacement of Russian gas", adding: "The more we can stifle Russia's ability to finance this murderous war, the better for all of us.