Donald Trump has directed strong words to Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin, saying that Russia is “pounding” Ukraine on the battlefield.

Trump says he is considering sanctions and tariffs on Russia unless they came to the table to negotiate a peace deal soon. In a post on his Truth Social media platform today, Trump said he his “strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED”.

He added another message urging both Ukraine and Russia to negotiate “before it is too late”. It comes after critics of the Trump administration said it remained somewhat tight-lipped on its overall condemnation of Putin’s Russia, while appearing to pressure Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia in 2014 before a full-scale invasion followed in 2022.

This week, Trump paused intelligence sharing and military aid in Ukraine following a stunning clash with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office last week. In February, Trump also seemed to blame Ukraine for supposedly starting the war in 2022, despite Putin’s barbaric invasion.

Russia’s aerial attacks on Ukraine have continued amid all of the diplomatic talk in the US and Europe over the last few weeks. It targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a large-scale missile and drone bombardment overnight, officials said, with the attack coming just hours after Zelensky said that talks with the US on ending the three-year war will take place next week.

Ukraine came under a “massive missile and drone” attack, energy minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook. At least 10 people, including a child, were wounded, authorities said.

“Russia is trying to hurt ordinary Ukrainians by striking energy and gas production facilities, without abandoning its goal of leaving us without light and heat, and causing the greatest harm to ordinary citizens,” Halushchenko wrote.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power grid during the war. The attacks have depleted electricity generation capacity and disrupted critical heating and water supplies.

Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of “weaponising winter” in an effort to erode civilian morale. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the energy supply is a legitimate target in the war, because it is “linked with Ukraine’s military industrial complex and weapons production”.

Trump also expressed uncertainty that NATO countries would come to America’s defence if asked. Downing Street played down the comments, noting that Trump had committed to Article 5 of NATO – that member nations come to the defence of other members who are attacked – when he met with the PM last week.

Trump has repeatedly talked about a need for Nato allies to “step up and pull their weight” when it comes to defence spending, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said. “I don’t think from what the President said yesterday is any different to what he was saying in his first term in office, and indeed, what he pointed to is the fact that that position that he took in his first term has led to increased defence spending from Nato allies,” he said.