Donald Trump has said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces 'big, big problems' if he backs out of a mineral deal with the US.
The Trump administration proposed a 'major' new deal last week that Zelenskyy is said to still be reviewing.
The new plans go beyond the initially suggested plans and would see the US receive all royalties from such assets until Ukraine has paid off at least $100 billion of war debt, says The Independent.
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The revised proposal would also give the US the chance to veto any sales of Ukrainian resources to other nations.
Giving an update on the plans, Trump accused Zelenskyy of trying to 'back out' of the deal.
“He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal,” the POTUS told reporters on Air Force One of Zelenskyy.
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“If he does that, he’s got some problems. Big, big problems. We made a deal on rare earth. And now he’s saying, ‘well you know, I want to renegotiate the deal’.”
Speaking on his journey from Florida to Washington, Trump continued: “He wants to be a member of NATO. He was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that.”
Giving an update on peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Trump said that 'we’re making a lot of progress', but acknowledged that 'there’s tremendous hatred' between Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin, an indication that negotiations may not produce the swift conclusion that he initially promised.
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In an interview with NBC News, he referenced comments Putin made on Friday (March 28) about temporarily putting Ukraine under external governance.
Trump said he was 'angry, p***ed off' when the Russian president 'started getting into Zelenskyy’s credibility'.
Putin reaffirmed his claim that Zelenskyy, whose presidential term expired last year, lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal. Under Ukraine’s constitution, it is illegal for the country to hold elections while it is 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 said, adding that there would be 'a 25 to 50-point tariff on all oil'.
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“Anybody buying oil from Russia will not be able to sell their product, any product, not just oil, into the United States.”
However, he reiterated that he and Putin have a 'very good relationship'.
On his flight back to Washington on Sunday evening (March 30), Trump reiterated his annoyance towards Putin but appeared to soften his tone.
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“I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word,” he said. “I’ve known him for a long time. We’ve always gotten along well.”
Asked when he wanted Russia to agree to a ceasefire, Trump said there was a 'psychological deadline'.
“If I think they’re tapping us along, I will not be happy about it,” he said.
Topics: Donald Trump, Ukraine, Politics, Russia, News, World News, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Niamh Shackleton