U.S. President Donald Trump accused Ukraine of giving Russian President Vladimir Putin a “pretext” to continue the intense bombing against it.

Trump stated in remarks reported by Western media, “They gave Putin a reason to bomb them violently last night… I didn’t like that.”

He also expressed hope that Russia would not halt negotiations to resolve the conflict, warning that the situation could deteriorate to the point of nuclear war.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump revealed that he had asked Putin not to respond to Ukrainian strikes on Russian airports, emphasizing his understanding of Putin’s position regarding recent attacks.