US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Vladimir Putin was "playing with fire" by refusing to engage in ceasefire talks with Kyiv as Russian forces made gains in Ukraine's north

However, Trump’s rhetoric surrounding Russia, traditionally sympathetic to Putin’s aims, has shifted in recent weeks as his attempts to end the war continue to be thwarted. At the weekend, Trump warned that if Putin threatened to conquer all of Ukraine he would bring about the “downfall” of Russia.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Vladimir Putin intends to retaliate “very strongly” against Ukraine for a surprise drone strike on Russian airfields over the weekend, a declaration that provoked alarm in Washington and abroad even as Trump touted his efforts to bring peace to the region.