Trump promises ‘big problems’ for Zelensky if he pulls out of mineral deal
The US president had earlier criticised his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s comments about the Ukrainian president.
Donald Trump has said Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelensky faces “big, big problems” if he backs out of a mineral deal with the US.
The US president’s remarks come hours after he criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin for comments he made about the leader of Ukraine.
“He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal,” Mr Trump told reporters on Air Force One of Mr Zelensky, referring to an agreement that would provide the US with access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.
“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 en route from Florida to Washington, Mr Trump said: “He wants to be a member of Nato. He was never going to be a member of Nato. He understands that.”
Although he insisted to reporters that “we’re making a lot of progress”, he acknowledged that “there’s tremendous hatred” between Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin, a fresh indication that negotiations may not produce the swift conclusion that he promised during the campaign.
In an earlier interview with NBC News, he referenced comments Mr Putin made on Friday about temporarily putting Ukraine under external governance.
Mr Trump said he was “angry, pissed off” when the Russian leader “started getting into Zelensky’s credibility”.
Mr Putin reaffirmed his claim that Mr Zelensky, 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 national 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,” Mr Trump said, adding that there would be “a 25 to 50-point tariff on all oil”.
“Anybody buying oil from Russia will not be able to sell their product, any product, not just oil, into the United States.”
Nonetheless, he reiterated that he and Mr Putin have a “very good relationship”.
On his flight back to Washington on Sunday evening, Mr Trump reiterated his annoyance towards Mr Putin but somewhat softened his tone.
“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, Mr Trump said there was a “psychological deadline”.
“If I think they’re tapping us along, I will not be happy about it,” he said.
The US president was speaking after 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.
Ukraine’s General Staff had earlier denounced the “deliberate, targeted shelling” of the military hospital late on Saturday. Among the casualties were service members who were undergoing treatment, it said.
Mr Zelensky said on Sunday that over the past week “most regions of Ukraine” had come under Russian attack.
Writing on X, he repeated his assertion that “Russia is dragging out the war”, echoing comments he made on Thursday that Russia is prolonging ceasefire talks “just to buy time and then try to grab more land”.
