KYIV — U.S. President Donald Trump finally labeled Russia the aggressor in the war against Ukraine, further demonstrating a hardening of his position toward Moscow.

Referring to Ukrainian and Russian troop casualties, Trump told reporters Sunday: “8,000 soldiers have died this week, from both countries. Some more from Russia, but when you’re the aggressor, you lose more.”

Trump has previously refused to condemn Moscow for the invasion, with his administration siding with Russia and North Korea in February to reject a U.N. motion backing Ukraine’s territorial integrity and condemning Russia. The U.S also objected to a G7 statement calling Russia an aggressor in February. Trump has blamed Ukraine for the war, saying in April: “You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.”

But Trump’s stance toward the Kremlin has changed over the summer, with his administration exerting increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin as the Russian president stonewalls Trump’s efforts to broker direct peace talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.