Location at a glance: Trump is realized via Selenskyj and Putin

US President Donald Trump has threatened the Ukrainian head of state Wolodymyr Selenskyj with consequences if he should refuse a raw material deal with the United States. He had the impression that Selenskyj wants to retract the – supposedly already hit – agreement on rare earths, Trump said with the presidential machine Air Force One during a flight. “And if he does this, he gets problems – big, big problems.” In addition to Selenskyj, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin also attracted anger Trump, who is “pissed off” to the Russian president – but for completely different reasons.

With a view to Selenskyj and the conversations on the development and exploitation of raw material deposits in Ukraine, Trump complained about the Ukrainian head of state: “We had a deal for rare earths”, but now Sage Selenskyj, he wanted to put up with this deal again. Trump accused him of making Ukraine a member of the NATO, although it was always clear that it would not happen. Selenskyj has now understood that. “So if he wants to negotiate the deal, he gets big problems.”

After the Republican had apparently seen the deal between Ukraine and the United States shortly before the signing, Selenskyj braked expectations last week. It was still very early to talk about an agreement that has changed several times, he said at a press conference in Paris.

“I was very angry and pissed off”

Putin also got a broad side of the US President in front of the Ukrainian head of state. Trump was particularly outraged by Putin’s proposal to provide the Ukraine attacked by Russia under the administration of the United Nations and to hold new elections there. He threatened the Kremlin chief with US sanctions against Russia’s oil industry and announced another conversation with him for the coming days.

“I was very angry and pissed off when Putin was about the credibility of Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj Herzog and began talking about a new tour in Ukraine,” Trump was quoted by NBC. However, he had previously overwhelmed Selenskyj with severe allegations, had his Ukrainian guest in the White House publicly called, described it as a “dictator” and at times even blamed him with the war that Russia started with his invasion of the neighboring country in February 2022.

The NBC journalist Kristen Welker reported that Trump called her and cleared her. Exactly when he wants to talk to Putin, Trump left open. Most recently, both had phoned on March 19. Welker’s reproduction of the conversation with Trump was posted by an account of the White House on the X platform. A recording of the conversation was not published.

Trump tries to convey a solution against Ukraine in the war of Russia. He has several times to understand that this was in the USA’s own interest and would be economically advantageous for his country. Putin rejected a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Trump. As a minimum consensus, it was agreed to take out objects of energy supply to attacks – which in practice does not work, how both warring parties accuse themselves.

Puncture tariffs for buyers of Russian oil?

Now Trump wants to increase the pressure in particular on Moscow: According to NBC, he threatened to occupy Russian oil with punitive tariffs. This should make export more difficult and reduce its foreign exchange income. The major climbers of Russian oil include India and China – new tariffs would therefore probably lead to economic and thus also political upheavals.

Welker reported that Trump had told her on the phone if he could not reach an agreement with Russia about the end of bloodshed in Ukraine, “and if I believe that it was Russia’s fault – which may not be the case – but if I think it was Russia’s fault, then I will raise secondary dumplings on oil, everything that comes from Russia”. The tariffs would therefore be 25 percent and could come at any time.

Trump had recently announced so -called secondary tariffs against Venezuela. This punitive tariff is said to pay every country that relates oil or gas from Venezuela.

Selenskyj: Putin is not interested in peace

In view of the continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and front sections, Selenskyj Putin accused lack of interest in a peace solution. “The cruelty of the Russian attacks, which are not only occasionally, but literally every day and night, show how little Putin scores for diplomacy,” said Selenskyj in his evening video address. One reason for the scandal in the White House was Selenskyj’s undisguised irritation about Trump’s Vice President JD Vance, who had pleaded for more diplomatic cooperation with Moscow.

The United States also had a proposal for an unconditional break, Selenskyj said. “And in response to this proposal, we have Russian drones, Russian bombs, artillery shot, ballistic rockets every day.” In his opinion, Russia must continue to be put under pressure. Only hard measures could break a system “that wants nothing but war”.

Russia is looking for excuses to continue the war, said Selenskyj. “Putin plays the same game that he has been playing since 2014,” he wrote on platform X with a look back at the occupation that is contrary to international law and later annexation of the Ukrainian Black Sea Peninsula Crimea. The strategy of the Kremlin is dangerous for everyone and must be answered accordingly by the United States, Europe and all other Ukraine partners who strive for peace. Almost 20 percent of the Ukrainian land area is now occupied by Russia.