Trump finds the fault of Putin and Zelenskyy as he negotiates the end of the war

By Chris Megerian, Associated Press

Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump was unleashed on Sunday in Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing his frustration towards the Russian and Ukrainian leaders while fighting to forge a truce to end the war.

Although Trump insisted for journalists that “we are making a lot of progress”, he recognized that “there is a huge hatred” between the two men, a new indication that negotiations may not produce the rapid conclusion that he promised during the campaign.

Trump began to express his reviews in an early interview with NBC News while he was in Mar-A-Lago, his private club in Florida. He said he was “angry, upset” that Putin questioned Zelenskyy’s credibility.

The Russian chief recently said that Zelenskyy did not have legitimacy to sign a peace agreement and suggested that Ukraine needed external governance.

Trump said he would plan to add new sanctions against Russia, which are already faced with large financial penalties and the use of prices to undermine its oil exports.

The republican president rarely criticizes Putin, and he has already attacked the credibility of Zelenskyy himself. For example, Trump suggested that Ukraine caused the war that started with a Russian invasion three years ago, and he insisted that Zelenskyy should hold elections even if it is illegal under the constitution of Ukraine to do so during martial law.

Sunday evening, during his flight to Washington, Trump reiterated his embarrassment towards Putin but somewhat softened his tone.

“I don’t think he’s going to come back to his word,” he said. “I have known him for a long time. We have always succeeded. ”

Asked when he wanted Russia to accept a ceasefire, Trump said there was a “psychological deadline”.

“If I think they teach us, I will not be happy,” he said.

Trump quickly pivoted to criticize Zelenskyy.

“He tries to get out of the rare land agreement,” said Trump, referring to the negotiations on American access to critical minerals in Ukraine. “And if he does it, he has problems. Big, big problems.”

Trump and Zelenskyy were supposed to sign the agreement when the Ukrainian chief visited the White House. However, their meeting ended with the acrimony which took place in front of television cameras in the Oval Office.

Trump suggested on Sunday that Zelenskyy wanted to “renegotiate the agreement” to get better security guarantees.

“He wants to be a member of NATO,” he said. “Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands it.”

The United States has put pressure on a complete ceasefire contract between Russia and Ukraine to peacefully end their 3-year war.

Russia has actually rejected an American proposal for an immediate and complete 30-day stop in the fighting, and the feasibility of a partial ceasefire on the Black Sea was questioned after the Kremlin negotiators imposed large-scale conditions.

Trump’s comments on Putin come after weeks of intense pressure on Ukraine to accept a ceasefire.

Russian drones struck the 2nd largest city in Kharkiv in Ukraine

Meanwhile, Russian drones hit a military hospital, a shopping center and apartments in the second largest city in Kharkiv in Ukraine, killing two people and injuring dozens.

The general staff of Ukraine denounced the “deliberate and targeted bombing” of the military hospital on Saturday evening. Among the victims, there were members of the service who suffered treatment, he said. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said that people killed were a 67 -year -old man and a 70 -year -old woman.

According to the Ukrainian government and military analysts, Russian forces are preparing to launch a new military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize kyiv pressure and strengthen the Kremlin negotiation position in cease-fire talks.

The Air Force of Ukraine reported that Russia had drawn 111 drones and explosive lures in the last wave of attacks on Sunday until Sunday. He said that 65 of them were intercepted and that 35 others were lost, having probably been stuck electronically.

Zelenskyy said on Sunday that in last week, “most regions of Ukraine” were under Russian attack. Writing on X, he said that “1,310 Russian guided air bombs, more than 1,000 attack drones – mainly” shaheds ” – and nine missiles of different types, including ballistics”, had been launched against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy also repeated his assertion that “Russia leads to war”, echoing the comments it made in Paris Thursday that Russia prolongs the ceasefire to speak “just to buy time, then try to grasp more land”.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defense systems had shot down six Ukrainian drones. He also said on Sunday that his troops had taken control of a village in the Donetsk region partially occupied in Ukraine. The Russian complaint could not be checked independently and Ukraine has not commented.

With Kyiv reports, Ukraine.

Originally published: March 31, 2025 at 5:26 a.m.