Trump: Kiev gave Putin an excuse to continue the bombing.

President Donald Trump criticized Ukraine's policies, considering them as giving Russian President Vladimir Putin an "excuse" to continue intense shelling against Ukraine. In statements reported by Western media, Trump said: "They have given Putin a justification for their intense shelling last night... I didn't like that. When I saw what happened, I said: here comes the strike." Trump also expressed hope that Russia would not halt negotiations on settling the Ukrainian conflict, warning that "the situation could deteriorate to the point of a nuclear war."