- President Trump has threatened Russia with new oil tariffs if it obstructs cease-fire initiatives in Ukraine and has also pressured Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to finalize a rare earth minerals deal with the United States.
- Ukraine is considering the US draft agreement on rare earth minerals, but internal consensus is needed before making a final decision, as these minerals are crucial for defense and technology.
- Amidst diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire, Ukraine has accused Russia of war crimes, citing attacks on civilian targets, including a military hospital, and calls for tougher sanctions and more air defense capabilities. US President Donald Trump threatened Russia with new tariffs on oil products if Moscow blocks his cease-fire initiatives, while he also said Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces “big, big problems” if he doesn’t sign a key minerals deal with Washington. “He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal, and if he does that he’s got some problems, big, big problems,” Trump told reporters on March 30 in reference to the Ukrainian president. “We made a deal on rare earth. And now he’s saying, well you know, I want to renegotiate the deal.” “He wants to be a member of NATO, but he’s never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that,” Trump added. On March 28, the Ukrainian government said it was still considering a draft agreement from the United States on the country’s rare earth minerals amid media reports Washington had changed the terms of the deal several times. Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced at a government meeting that Kyiv was forming its position on the agreement, but lawmakers would only state their stance once there was consensus. Before then, she said, public discussion would be harmful. Ukraine possesses significant deposits of critical minerals, including rare earths, although their exact size remains uncertain. Rare earth minerals are highly valued for their use in defense technologies, as well as in devices such as computers, smartphones, and batteries. Ukraine and the United States earlier this month agreed to conclude a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources. Efforts to seal the deal had earlier fallen apart on February 28 after a heated exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House. Meanwhile, earlier on March 30, Trump said he would impose secondary tariffs of 25-50 percent on all Russian oil if he feels President Vladimir Putin is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine. During a phone interview with NBC news, Trump said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” when Putin called for a transitional government to be put in place in Ukraine, which could effectively push out Zelenskyy. “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 — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump said. “That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” Trump said. “There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.” Trump added that the trade measures would be put in place within a month if no cease-fire agreement is reached. The highly sensitive diplomatic juncture comes after the White House announced on March 25 that both Russia and Ukraine agreed to a cease-fire and to allow navigation in Black Sea, as well an agreement to not strike each other energy facilities. Kyiv says that it would take effect immediately and Moscow has stated that it would follow the partial lifting of sanctions pertaining to Russian companies and banks involved in the international food trade.
Tougher Tone Toward Putin
The comments by Trump mark a shift from the softer approach the White House had taken toward Russia since the US president made ending the war in Ukraine a top foreign policy priority. They also come after he had previously criticized Zelenskyy, saying he was “sick” of his handling of the war and called him a “dictator without elections.” Trump told NBC that he will speak with Putin during this week.Meanwhile, in his nightly video address on March 30, Zelenskyy said “Russia’s response to the American proposition of unconditional cease-fire are drones, bombs, artillery shelling, ballistic missiles on a daily basis. Putin is demonstrating that he doesn’t give a damn about diplomacy.” “What is needed are tougher sanctions against Russia, more air-defense capabilities for Ukraine, and more unity among our partners,” Zelenskyy added. Amid the US-led diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire deal, Kyiv accused Moscow of a “war crime” on March 30 after Russian drones struck a military hospital. The overnight strike hit Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, as part of an attack that also hit a shopping center, apartment blocks, and other targets, killing at least two people according to authorities. The Ukrainian military’s general staff accused Russia of “violating the norms of international humanitarian law” in the attack, which they denounced as “deliberate, targeted shelling.” They added on March 30 that casualties included soldiers undergoing treatment in the medical center. In total, Ukrainian authorities said that the overnight attacks killed at least two people and injured 26 others across the country. The Ukrainian president added that “for too long,” a US proposal for an unconditional cease-fire has been on the table “without a proper response from Russia. That says a lot.”
