Donald Trump went on an extraordinary tirade against Vladimir Putin after weeks of attempting to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The US President said he is “very angry” and “pissed off” at Russian counterpart Putin for questioning Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s credibility and legitimacy.
Trump threatened to impose a 50 per cent tariff on countries buying Russia’s oil if fighting did not stop.
He told NBC News on Sunday Putin knows he is furious but the two men have “a very good relationship“.
In a shift in tone towards Russia, Trump referenced comments Putin made on Friday about temporarily putting Ukraine under external governance.
Trump said he was “angry, pissed off” when Putin “started getting into Zelensky’s credibility.”
Putin repeated his claim that Zelensky, whose term expired last year, lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal.
Ukraine’s constitution makes it illegal for the country to hold national elections while under martial law.
“If a deal isn’t made, and if I think it was Russia’s fault, I’m going to put secondary sanctions on Russia,” Trump told Kristen Welker, adding that there would be “a 25 to 50-point tariff on all oil”.
Yesterday’s Russian strike on Kharkiv sadly took the lives of two people. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Around 30 people were wounded—all have received the necessary medical assistance. I thank our rescuers and medics who work every day for our people.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 30, 2025
Over… pic.twitter.com/qexcBzIN6v
“Anybody buying oil from Russia will not be able to sell their product, any product, not just oil, into the United States.”
Zelensky repeated his assertion that “Russia is dragging out the war”, echoing comments he made Thursday in Paris that Putin is prolonging ceasefire talks “just to buy time and then try to grab more land”.
It came as Russian drones hit a military hospital, shopping centre and apartment blocks in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, killing two people and wounding dozens.
Kyiv has denounced the “deliberate, targeted shelling” of the military hospital late on Saturday. Among the casualties were service members who were undergoing treatment, it said.
Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov added those killed were a 67-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia fired 111 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Sunday. It said 65 of them were intercepted and another 35 lost, likely having been electronically jammed.
Zelensky stated over the past week “most regions of Ukraine” came under Russian attack. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he said “1,310 Russian guided aerial bombs, over 1,000 attack drones — mostly ‘Shaheds’ — and nine missiles of various types, including ballistic ones” had been launched against his country.
European leaders were worried Trump had been cosying up to Putin as negotiations on a ceasefire continued.
For the past six weeks, Trump has harangued Zelensky in the Oval Office and demanded numerous concessions.
In turn, he has flattered Putin and largely given in to his demands.
