US President Donald Trump is “very angry” and with Vladimir Putin for his suggestion Volodymyr Zelensky should be replaced by a UN-mandated interim government as part of a ceasefire deal.
Mr Trump told NBC News he was furious with the Russian leader over his suggestion that a temporary administration should be installed to negotiate an end to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Threatening to slap secondary sanctions on Russian oil if a ceasefire could not be agreed between Kyiv and Moscow, Mr Trump said he was “disappointed” with Mr Putin’s comments.
“If a deal isn’t made, and if I think it was Russia’s fault, I’m going to put secondary sanctions on Russia,” Mr Trump said, adding that there would be “a 25 to 50-point tariff on all oil”.
At the same time, the US president was also critical of Mr Zelensky, saying he was “trying to back out of the rare earth deal“ and warned him of “big, big problems” if he doesn’t sign.
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine continue as the political wrangling goes on. On Monday, Kyiv’s air force said that Moscow launched 131 drones and two ballistic missiles during overnight attacks, including strikes on the second city Kharkiv.
Several injured as Russia continues attacks on Kharkiv
Russia repeatedly bombed the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv over the weekend, with the latest attacks leaving several injured.
On Monday morning, Kyiv said two people had been injured in overnight attacks which sparked fires and damaged a kindergarten and private homes.
The strikes followed another on Kharkiv over the weekend, which killed two people and wounded 35, Ukrainian official said.
A strike on the city of Kupiansk, east of Kharkiv, late on Sunday also left three injured and demolished more than 10 houses and a local cemetery.
Watch: Trump warns Zelensky of ‘big problems’ after accusing him of minerals deal u-turn
Trump: Ukraine will never be member of Nato
Addressing Zelensky’s alleged attempts to back out of the rare earth deal, Donald Trump said he’s “never going to be a member of Nato”.
The US president has claimed that Kyiv is trying to back out of the proposed deal, which will give the US access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits.
Trump warned Zelensky could face “big problems” if he backs out, after the Ukrainian leader said he would not sign a deal if it interfered with potential plans to join the EU.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One: “He wants to be a member of Nato, but he’s never going to be a member of Nato. He understands that.”
Trump accuses Zelensky of trying to ‘back out’ of minerals deal
Donald Trump has also expressed his discontent with the Ukrainian president, accusing him of trying to back out of a potential minerals deal.
The US has been trying to secure a deal to give them access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits.
But Zelensky has said he would not agree to a deal if it threatened Kyiv’s potential EU membership.
The US president told reporters on board Air Force One: “He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal and if he does that he’s got some problems, big, big problems.”
Why is Trump ‘very angry’ with Putin?
After weeks of working with Vladimir Putin to reach a peace deal in Ukraine, Donald Trump has now said he is “pissed off” with the Russian leader.
In and NBC interview, the US president said he was “very angry” with Putin for attacking Volodymyr Zelensky’s governence.
“You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when… Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location,” Trump told NBC.
Last week, the Russian president said Ukraine should be put under external UN governance as part of the ceasefire process.
His suggestion that Zelensky’s leadership was illegitimate was met with condemnation from leaders around the world.
“New leadership means you’re not gonna have a deal for a long time,” Trump added in his interview with NBC.
Russia launches 131 drone in overnight attack, Kyiv says
Russia launched 131 drones and two ballistic missiles in an overnight attack, Kyiv said.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 57 drones during the attack on Sunday night.
It added that another 45 drones did not reach their targets – likely due to electronic countermeasures – but did not specify what happened to the remaining 29 drones.
Trump losing patience with Putin, Finnish president says
Finnish president Alexander Stubb said that Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with Vladimir Putin’s delays in agreeing to a Ukraine ceasefire.
He made the remarks after spending several hours with the US president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday, where he also won a golf competition with Mr Trump.
“I think we’re probably moving into the direction where the Americans are seeing Russia for what it’s worth. In other words, the overall ceasefire has been agreed by the United States, by Ukraine and by Europe, but not by Russia,” he told the Guardian after landing in the UK.
“The half-ceasefire has been broken by Russia, and I think America, and my sense is also the president of the United States, is running out of patience with Russia. I think that’s good news for engagement and negotiation. So this is what I sensed over the weekend as well.”
Trump says he is ‘very angry’ with Putin as he threatens new oil sanctions
US president Donald Trump has said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” with Vladimir Putin, his strongest rebuke towards the Russian president in weeks amid drawn-out attempts to broker a ceasefire.
In an interview with NBC, Mr Trump threatened to impose secondary tariffs of 25 per cent to 50 per cent on buyers of Russian oil if he feels Moscow is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault – which it might not be… I am going to put secondary tariffs… on all oil coming out of Russia,” he said.
Mr Trump’s criticism of Mr Putin came after the Russian leader suggested that Mr Zelensky lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal, and that Ukraine needed to install a UN-led external government before any agreement to end the war can be completed.
What is the Black Sea ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine?
The White House said both countries agreed to several key measures following the talks in Riyadh.
Russia and Ukraine agreed to:
- Cease using force and allow the safe navigation of ships in the Black Sea.
- Develop measures for implementing the agreement to ban strikes on energy facilities.
- Work with mediating countries to implement the agreements.
- Work towards a lasting peace.
As part of the agreement, the US also said it would help restore Russia’s access to global agricultural and fertiliser markets – which have been hit by sanctions over the war, help lower maritime insurance costs and improve access to ports and international payment systems.
For Ukraine, the US said it remained committed to helping facilitate prisoners of war exchanges as well as the release of civilian detainees, and help “the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children”.
However, Russia has said the deal cannot begin until its conditions are met for restored access to global trade markets and payment systems.
Read our full report here.
Source: independent.co.uk