Donald Trump's Anger at Putin and 'Pressure' on Zelensky Over Mining Agreement

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, warned Russia that if it obstructs his plans for a ceasefire, new tariffs will be imposed on Moscow's oil products; he also warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he will face major problems if he does not sign the mining agreement. Mr. Trump stated early Monday, April 1, on Air Force One to reporters that his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, is 'trying to back away from the rare earth mining agreement, and if he does, he will have very big problems.' He noted that despite the initial agreement, Zelensky is seeking to renegotiate the mining contract, saying, 'He wants [Ukraine] to be a NATO member, but it will never be a NATO member. He understands that.' The Ukrainian government announced on Friday that it is still reviewing the draft agreement presented by the United States regarding its mining sector; according to media reports, Washington has changed the terms of this agreement several times. Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's Minister of Economy, indicated that Kyiv is shaping its position on this agreement, stating that lawmakers will announce their stance once consensus is reached; she added that public discussion before that stage would be detrimental. Ukraine has significant reserves of critical minerals, including rare earths, but the exact amount of these reserves is unclear. These rare minerals are highly valuable due to their use in defense technologies as well as in devices such as computers, smartphones, and batteries. Ukraine and the United States agreed weeks ago to finalize a comprehensive agreement for the development of important mineral resources in Ukraine. Efforts to sign this agreement previously failed on February 28 after a tense meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Mr. Trump also stated in an interview with NBC News that if he feels Vladimir Putin is obstructing his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, he will impose tariffs of 25 to 50 percent on Russian oil. In this interview, published on Sunday, he expressed that he was 'very angry' with Putin over his idea of forming a transitional government in Ukraine, which could effectively sideline Zelensky. Mr. Trump emphasized, 'If Russia and I cannot agree on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine... which I think will be Russia's fault, I will impose secondary tariffs of 25 to 50 percent on all oil coming from Russia.' He explained, 'This means that if you buy oil from Russia, you cannot do any business in the United States. According to the President of the United States, these measures will be implemented if a ceasefire agreement is not reached within a month. Mr. Trump's recent statements indicate that the White House has changed its 'soft approach' towards Russia. This perspective had continued after Donald Trump's return to the White House and his priority to end the war in Ukraine. Mr. Trump made these remarks while previously criticizing Zelensky, calling him a 'dictator without elections.' The American President added in his conversation with NBC that he would speak with Vladimir Putin this week.