US president Donald Trump is “very angry” and “pissed off” with Vladimir Putin for his suggestion Volodymyr Zelensky should be replaced by a UN-mandated government.
Mr Trump told NBC News he was furious with the Russian leader over his suggestion a temporary administration should be installed to replace Mr Zelensky.
He said Mr Putin’s comments were “not going in the right direction” and threatened to slap sanctions on Russian oil if a ceasefire could not be agreed between Kyiv and Moscow.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — I am going to put secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia,” he warned.
Speaking from the far north Russian city of Murmansk last week, Mr Putin floated the idea as a way of allowing Ukraine to “hold democratic elections”.
Mr Zelensky has served beyond his term due to elections being put on hold under martial law following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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Key Points
- Trump 'very angry' and 'p***** off' with Putin
- Trump: Putin knows I am angry with him
- Starmer and Trump agree to keep pressure on Putin in phone call
- Kyiv accuses Putin of war crime after hospital attack
- Putin's troops launch over 150 deadly glide bombs
Russia claims to have taken control of Zaporizhzhia settlement in Donetsk
04:20
,
Shweta Sharma
Russia’s defence ministry says it has captured Zaporizhzhia, a village in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, after a missile attack.
"Battlegroup Center units completed the liberation of the settlement of Zaporozhye in the Donetsk People’s Republic through successful offensive operations," the ministry said in a statement, using its own names for the village and the region that it claims to have annexed, illegally, from Ukraine.
It said a missile strike on Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) units killed up to 170 troops and foreign mercenaries over the past day.
The village is unrelated to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which is in another region of the same name to the south.
The village lies just 7km from the border of Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region.
Trump warns Zelensky of 'big problems' if he backs out of mineral deal
03:51
,
Shweta Sharma
After threatening Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump warned Ukraine's president Volodomyr Zelensky of "big, big problems" ahead 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".
'Gangster' Putin making mockery of truce efforts, Ukrainian MP tells Independent
03:00
,
Alex Croft
Vladimir Putin is making a mockery of ceasefire efforts, a Ukrainian MP has told The Independent.
Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign policy committee, said earlier this week that Donald Trump may change his attitude towards the Russian autocrat when he realises Putin is not serious about peace.
Mr Trump’s declaration that he is “p***** off” at the Russian autocrat could be the first evidence of such a change in attitude.
Dealing with Putin is “worse than dealing with gangsters” because “you can never trust, you can never rely [on him]”, Mr Merezhko said.
He added: “It’s an illusion to believe you can make a deal with Putin [which will] be followed conscientiously by Putin. It’s a total illusion.
“Trump should understand that on Putin’s part, it’s a mockery. It’s a mockery, all this negotiation process. When Trump realises this, maybe he will change his attitude towards Putin.”
Watch: Sam Kiley visits Kherson where Ukrainian civilians are being targeted by Russian drones in near-daily attacks
02:00
,
Alex Croft
In pictures: Russian attack on Kharkiv kills two and injures dozens
01:01
,
Alex Croft
Starmer's coalition of the willing: What does it hope to do?
Monday 31 March 2025 00:00
,
Alex Croft
Sir Keir Starmer has updated US president Donald Trump about recent talks between European countries concerning the proposed ‘coalition of the willing’ peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
But what actually is the coalition?
The central focus of the coalition of the willing is a peacekeeping force, and European leaders are expected to discuss what, exactly, they are willing to contribute to a military effort on the ground in Ukraine.
The group also needs support from the US, which has provided crucial intelligence information to Ukraine throughout the conflict.
So far only the UK and France have committed to providing troops to the cause, and Sir Keir will present a detailed plan on what that peacekeeping force could provide to leaders at the Elysee Palace on Thursday.
The leaders are also expected to discuss ongoing military aid and funding to bolster Ukraine’s military.
Ukrainians expect Russia to launch a fresh offensive to strengthen its negotiating position
Sunday 30 March 2025 23:28
,
Alex Croft
Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize the pressure on Ukraine and strengthen the Kremlin's negotiating position in ceasefire talks, Ukrainian government and military analysts said.
The move could give Russian President Vladimir Putin every reason to delay discussions about pausing the fighting in favor of seeking more land, the Ukrainian officials said, renewing their country's repeated arguments that Russia has no intention of engaging in meaningful dialogue to end the war.
Read the full report:
Zelensky demands sanctions against Russia and air defence for Ukraine
Sunday 30 March 2025 22:55
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said sanctions against Russia are “essential” to help bring about a just end to the war in Ukraine.
In his nightly address on X, the Ukrainian president said that the “geography and brutality of Russian strikes” show that Vladimir Putin “couldn’t care less about diplomacy”.
“Russia deserves increased pressure—all the tough measures that can break its capacity to wage war and sustain the system that wants nothing but war,” Mr Zelensky wrote.
“Sanctions against Russia are essential. More air defense for Ukraine is essential. More cooperation and unity among all partners is essential.”
Unfortunately, today has already brought more Russian strikes and shelling. Cherkasy region — attacked by drones. Kherson region — artillery and drone-dropped explosives on ordinary buildings and civilians. Donetsk region — guided aerial bombs, drones, artillery. Zaporizhzhia —… pic.twitter.com/Ocvv6AdXD7
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 30, 2025
Trump and Starmer agree to keep pressure on Putin in phone call
Sunday 30 March 2025 22:23
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer agreed that “collective pressure” is needed on Vladimir Putin in a Sunday night phone call, Downing Street said.
The two leaders held the call after news broke that the US president is “p***** off” at the Russian autocrat, whose comments were “not going in the right direction”.
A Downing Street statement said: "Discussing Ukraine, the Prime Minister updated the President on the productive discussions at the meeting of the Coalition of Willing in Paris this week.
“The leaders agreed on the need to keep up the collective pressure on Putin.”
Watch: Farage claims Trump’s Ukraine approach is ‘turning Putin into a winner’
Sunday 30 March 2025 21:52
,
Alex Croft
Trump plans call with Putin this week
Sunday 30 March 2025 21:21
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has said he plans to speak with Russian president Vladimir Putin over the phone this week.
The two leaders have had two publicly announced telephone calls in recent months - but the Kremlin said last week that they may have had more contacts.
The White House had no immediate comment on when the call would take place, or if Trump would also speak with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
In pictures: War grinds on as US push for ceasefire continues
Sunday 30 March 2025 20:50
,
Alex Croft
Full report: Trump says he’s ‘p*****’ off with Putin over lack of ceasefire deal and threatens more tariffs on Russian oil
Sunday 30 March 2025 20:29
,
Alex Croft
President Donald Trump escalated his criticism towards Russia on Sunday after weeks of being accused of taking Vladimir Putin’s side in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The US president called up NBC’s Kristen Welker prior to her Sunday appearance as host of Meet the Press, according to Welker. He told her that he was “p***ed off” after the Russian president called for elections in Ukraine and once again questioned the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government — comments the U.S. president said were unhelpful.
Even though U.S. negotiators are currently engaged in moderating peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, Donald Trump put the blame squarely on Putin’s shoulders, adding that he was “very angry” at the Russian president. Putin’s recent comments about Zelensky, he said, were “not going in the right location.”
Washington DC correspondent John Bowden reports:
What is Keir Starmer's peacekeeping initiative known as the coalition of the willing?
Sunday 30 March 2025 20:07
,
Alex Croft
The coalition was announced by Sir Keir at the start of March, following a summit on Ukraine he hosted in London.
It was formed to help bolster Ukraine’s defences against Russia, including through increasing military aid.
Just days after that first meeting, the US temporarily suspended intelligence sharing with Kyiv, pushing European leaders to hold crisis talks on what further support they could provide to Ukraine.
A central part of the point of the coalition of the willing is to create a peacekeeping force, Sir Keir has previously said, which would help enforce any ceasefire on the ground in Ukraine.
A peacekeeping force would help “guarantee Ukraine’s future security”, he said last week, adding that what action the force would take was subject to meetings with military experts from around the world.
Fighting in Kursk continues following Ukrainian collapse - analyst
Sunday 30 March 2025 19:46
,
Alex Croft
Fighting in Kursk is ongoing despite the collapse of Ukraine’s defence in the Russian region.
Ukraine is still “hanging onto a narrow strip of Russian land in Kursk with 2-3 small villages” Emil Kastehelmi, analyst with the Black Bird Group, said. Russia will continue to push Ukrainians back, although the area held by Kyiv’s forces is not politically relevant.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has opened a new operation to push into Russia’s Belgorod region, advancing around three to four kilometres deep.
“It’s unclear how solidified the Ukrainian positions are in the villages and the surrounding areas,” Mr Kastehelmi said.
“We may be seeing a fixing operation to draw Russian attention away from Kursk and Sumy, but currently it’s unfolding on a very local level, and the successes are small.”
In the Russian-Ukrainian border region, both parties have continued offensive operations since the Ukrainian defense in Kursk collapsed.
— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi) March 29, 2025
While Russia is pushing Ukrainians out of Kursk and its own soldiers into Ukrainian territory in Sumy, Ukraine has again attacked Belgorod. 1/ pic.twitter.com/VgU55GsMbc
Zelensky thanks Ukrainian Muslims on Eid
Sunday 30 March 2025 19:25
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Ukrainian Muslims for their “resilience in defending our country” as millions around the world celebrate Eid.
“I sincerely congratulate Muslims in Ukraine and around the world on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr,” Mr Zelensky wrote.
“This is a blessed time for good deeds, forgiveness, and solidarity. May this holiday bring us closer to our shared goal — a just, dignified, and lasting peace.”
The Ukrainian president thanked Ukraine’s Muslim community for its “resilience”, adding that he is “grateful to everyone who supports Ukraine”.
“Eid Mubarak — may your holiday be blessed!” he added.
I sincerely congratulate Muslims in Ukraine and around the world on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 30, 2025
This is a blessed time for good deeds, forgiveness, and solidarity. May this holiday bring us closer to our shared goal — a just, dignified, and lasting peace.
I wish every family…
Ukraine destroys 65 out of 111 drones
Sunday 30 March 2025 19:02
,
Alex Croft
Russia launched 111 drones at Ukraine during an overnight attack, Kyiv's air force said on Sunday.
The air force said it had shot down 65 of the drones.
Another 35 drones were "locationally lost" without causing damage, typically a reference to electronic jamming, but that damage was reported in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa and Donetsk regions.
Analysis | Trump wants to trap Ukraine in US colonial protection racket
Sunday 30 March 2025 18:48
,
Alex Croft
World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
The latest version of the much-mutated minerals deal from the White House, which has been tabled in Kyiv, goes further than ever before in attempting to get Ukraine to sign up to back pay for US support in the war, plus four per cent.
On top of that it demands that the US, under Delaware law, controls most of Ukraine’s industrial output and much of its transport and communications system.
It is the result of a mafia-style protection shakedown on Ukraine by its former friends in Washington DC supported (by accident or design) by thuggery from the Kremlin.
Ukrainian parliamentarians told The Independent that even if, as is unlikely, president Volodymyr Zelensky signed up to the offer it would stand no chance of ratification by Ukraine’s legislature.
Watch: Trump ‘p***ed off’ at Putin over disparaging Zelensky comments
Sunday 30 March 2025 18:27
,
Alex Croft
In pictures: Kharkiv authorities respond after drone attack kills two
Sunday 30 March 2025 17:53
,
Alex Croft
'Gangster' Putin making mockery of truce efforts, Ukrainian MP tells Independent
Sunday 30 March 2025 17:38
,
Alex Croft
Vladimir Putin is making a mockery of ceasefire efforts, a Ukrainian MP has told The Independent.
Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign policy committee, said earlier this week that Donald Trump may change his attitude towards the Russian autocrat when he realises Putin is not serious about peace.
Dealing with Putin is “worse than dealing with gangsters” because “you can never trust, you can never rely [on him]”, Mr Merezhko said.
He added: “It’s an illusion to believe you can make a deal with Putin [which will] be followed conscientiously by Putin. It’s a total illusion.
“Trump should understand that on Putin’s part, it’s a mockery. It’s a mockery, all this negotiation process. When Trump realises this, maybe he will change his attitude towards Putin.”
US has 'far-reaching' plans if Russia does not accept ceasefire, says Finnish president
Sunday 30 March 2025 17:04
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has been told by Finland’s president Alexander Stubb that the US has “far-reaching” plans in case Russia does not accept a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Speaking to Finnish reporters in London, Mr Stubb said the US president was running out of patience with Russia, having met him in a surprise visit to Florida.
Mr Stubb added that a deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine must be set in order to make it happen.
"April 20 would be a good time for a full ceasefire without any conditions,” Mr Stubb said, “because a deadline is needed, because it is Easter and because President Donald Trump will have been in office for three months”.
In Mr Stubb’s visit to Florida, the presidents discussed strengthening their countries' bilateral partnership and also played a round of golf, the Finnish president’s office said.
Trump: Putin knows I am angry with him
Sunday 30 March 2025 16:39
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has said Russian president Vladimir Putin is already aware of the US president’s anger towards him.
NBC News reported that Mr Trump told a reporter in a phone call he was furious about Putin’s suggestion that Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration should be replaced by a UN-mandated government.
Mr Trump said Putin knows he is angry with him, but said he had “a very good relationship with him” and “the anger dissipates quickly... if he does the right thing.”
The US president added that tariffs on Russian oil would come within a month without a ceasefire deal.
What has Donald Trump said about Zelensky's leadership?
Sunday 30 March 2025 16:30
,
Alexander Butler
US president Donald Trump referred to Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator without elections” as recently as last month.
Echoing Kremlin propaganda, Mr Trump berated him as a “modestly successful comedian” before a calamitous White House press conference.
What did Putin say about regime change in Ukraine?
Sunday 30 March 2025 16:15
,
Alexander Butler
Speaking from the far north Russian city of Murmansk last week, Mr Putin floated the idea of a UN-mandated government in Kyiv as a way of allowing Ukraine to “hold democratic elections”.
He said a temporary administration under the auspices of the UN could be discussed "with the United States, with European countries, and of course with our partners and friends".
"This would be in order to hold democratic elections, to bring to power a capable government trusted by the people and then to begin with it talks on a peace agreement and sign legitimate documents," he said.
Mr Zelensky has served beyond his term due to elections being put on hold under martial law following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Editorial: Why The Independent will not be silent in the face of Trump’s assault on truth and democracy
Sunday 30 March 2025 15:59
,
Alexander Butler
No, no, no, Mr President. Volodymyr Zelensky is not a dictator. Ukraine did not start the war. The Ukrainian people are right to defend themselves against Vladimir Putin’s aggression. And it is time to speak the truth – without equivocation.
Donald Trump’s words on the war in Ukraine cannot be half-accepted or negotiated around. They must be rejected. Truth is too important. And the truth is that Mr Trump is turning the values of the American republic on their head. He stands at the head of a nation founded on the idea that a people have the right to decide their own future. That noble idea cannot be given up without a fight.
The signs are that we may be witnessing nothing short of a revolution in world affairs: the switch of the United States from an ally of Europe to an ally of Russia. From an ally of freedom and democracy to an ally of dictatorship, oppression and brutality.
Read the full editorial from 21 February here:
Recap: Trump unleashes unhinged tirade against ‘dictator’ Zelensky, suggesting Ukraine continued war to get US money
Sunday 30 March 2025 15:49
,
Alexander Butler
Last month, Trump accused Mr Zelensky, who he called a “modestly successful comedian” in a reference to his previous career as a sitcom star and entertainer, of having “talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start.”
“A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left,” Mr Trump said.
Read the full story here:
Trump 'very angry' and 'p***** off' with Putin, say reports
Sunday 30 March 2025 15:04
,
Alexander Butler
US president Donald Trump is “very angry” and “p***** off” with Vladimir Putin, according to NBC News.
The US network reported that Mr Trump told a reporter in a phone call he was furious about Mr Putin’s call for regime change in Ukraine, saying the comments were “not going in the right direction”.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Mr Trump told NBC News.
“That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” Trump said. “There will be a 25 per cent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
Kyiv accuses Putin of war crime after hospital attack
Sunday 30 March 2025 14:35
,
Alexander Butler
Kyiv has accused Vladimir Putin of a war crime after a military hospital was allegedly targeted by an Iranian-made Shahed drone in northeastern Ukraine.
The hospital was struck by the drone in Kharkiv on Saturday as Russian forces launched a huge air attack across Ukraine involving nearly 100 airstrikes and 150 deadly glide bombs.
“[This was a] deliberate, targeted shelling of a Ukrainian medical institution by the Russian army. War crimes have no statute of limitations,” Ukraine’s general staff said.
At least 153 KAB missiles - winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms nicknamed the “building destroyer” - were dropped on Ukrainian towns and cities during the attack, according to Ukraine’s general staff.
Ukraine ceasefire may not happen 'this year', Russian negotiator says
Sunday 30 March 2025 14:03
,
Alexander Butler
A ceasefire in Ukraine may not happen ‘this year’ despite US president Donald Trump’s claim to bring about a quick truce, a top Russian negotiator said.
Grigory Karasin, 75, who led the Russian delegation at talks last week with the US in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said a peace deal may not come “this year or at the end of this year”.
"It would be naive to expect any breakthrough results at the very first meeting," he told Russian state-owned TV channel Rossiya-24.
Mr Trump repeatedly said he would broker a ceasefire ‘within 24 hours’ of becoming president, before back tracking to a timeline of six months in January.
This month, he said Russia “could be dragging their feet” in a rare sign of frustration with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The history of Trump’s man to negotiate world peace should worry us all
Sunday 30 March 2025 13:00
,
Alexander Butler
So, Steve Witkoff, the Henry Kissinger of our age. What do we know about this man charged simultaneously with bringing peace to the Middle East, creating harmony between Russia and Ukraine, and forging a love-in with Iran?
The routine profiles tell us little about the 68-year-old Bronx-born property developer beyond the fact that he was in the same line of work as Donald Trump and that the two men played a lot of golf together. But Trump clearly believes his golfing chum has exceptional negotiation skills. Why else would he pick him to shuttle between Putin, Hamas, and Bibi Netanyahu in a bid to solve everything all at once?
Kissinger had been a US army intelligence officer in the Second World War. At Harvard, he developed an extensive knowledge of foreign policy, and he became a leading expert in arms control and disarmament. By the time he became national security adviser, he was “one of the most important theorists about foreign policy ever to be produced by the United States”, according to his biographer, Niall Ferguson.
Steve Witkoff develops luxury hotels, Alan Rusbridger writes.
Read the full story here:
Watch live: Ukraine commemorates liberation of Bucha from Russian forces three years on
Sunday 30 March 2025 12:30
,
Alexander Butler
Watch: How Ukraine is beating Russia in the Black Sea – and pushed Putin towards a ceasefire
Sunday 30 March 2025 12:15
,
Alexander Butler
'I have bid farewell to life', drone attack survivor says
Sunday 30 March 2025 11:43
,
Alexander Butler
A Russian drone strike on Ukraine's second-largest city killed two people and wounded 35 late on Saturday, officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Kyiv's partners to respond to such attacks while seeking peace in the three-year-old war.
The strike on the eastern city of Kharkiv, which damaged a military hospital among other structures, came as Ukraine seeks strong backing from Western allies to pressure Russia into ending its full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour.
Mayor Ihor Terekhov said five children were wounded in the attack, which also damaged several dozen residential buildings and a dormitory housing war refugees.
One survivor, who identified himself as Anton, described running to an adjacent room in his apartment when a drone struck and showered him with shrapnel.
"I had already bid farewell to life," said the 22-year-old, whose head and left hand were heavily bandaged.
‘A deal with Putin is an illusion’: Ukrainian officials warn Russia making ‘mockery’ of ceasefire talks
Sunday 30 March 2025 11:11
,
Alexander Butler
Trump wants to trap Ukraine in US colonial protection racket
Sunday 30 March 2025 09:34
,
Alexander Butler
Putin's troops launch over 150 deadly glide bombs
Sunday 30 March 2025 07:51
,
Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin’s troops have launched over 150 deadly glide bombs at Ukraine over the last day in a huge air attack, Kyiv’s military said.
At least 153 KAB missiles - winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms and nicknamed the “building destroyer” - were dropped on Ukrainian towns and cities on Saturday, according to Ukraine’s general staff.
They were part of a huge air attack on involving nearly 100 airstrikes and a missile attack in regions like Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, it added.
Ukraine destroys 65 out of 111 Russian-launched drones in overnight attack
Sunday 30 March 2025 07:16
,
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian air defences destroyed 65 out of 111 drones launched by Russia during an overnight attack, Kyiv's air force said in a statement on Sunday.
It added that another 35 drones were "locationally lost" w