US President Donald Trump said that he will impose secondary tariffs of 25 percent to 50 percent on all Russian oil if he feels Moscow is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
During a March 30 phone interview with NBC news, US President Donald Trump said that he was “very angry” and “pissed off” when Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a transitional government to be put in place in Ukraine, which could effectively push out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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Russia Launches Deadly Drone Attack On Kharkiv
“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,” Trump said.
SEE ALSO: The Military And Monetary Impact Of Ukraine's Deep Strikes In Russia“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 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
Trump added that the trade measures would be put in place within a month if no cease-fire agreement is reached.
The highly sensitive diplomatic juncture comes after the White House announced on March 25 that both Russia and Ukraine agreed to a cease-fire and to allow navigation in Black Sea, as well an agreement to not strike each other energy facilities.
Issues persist with implementing the deal.
Kyiv says that it would take effect immediately and Moscow has stated that it would follow the partial lifting of sanctions pertaining to Russian companies and banks involved in the international food trade.
SEE ALSO: Did Russia Put A 'Poison Pill' In The Black Sea Cease-Fire Deal?The comments by Trump mark a shift from the softer approach the White House had taken toward Russia since the US president made ending the war in Ukraine a top foreign policy priority. They also come after he had previously criticized Zelenskyy, saying he was “sick” of his handling of the war and called him a "dictator without elections."
Trump told NBC that he will speak with Putin during this week.
Meanwhile, in his nightly video address on March 30, Zelenskyy said that "Russia's response to the American proposition of unconditional cease-fire are drones, bombs, artillery shelling, ballistic missiles on a daily basis; Putin is demonstrating that he doesn't give a damn about diplomacy."
"What is needed are tougher sanctions against Russia, more air-defense capabilities for Ukraine, and more unity among our partners," Zelenskyy added.
Attacks Continue Amid Ukraine Diplomacy
Amid the US-led diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire deal, Kyiv accused Moscow of a "war crime" on March 30 after Russian drones struck a military hospital.
The overnight strike hit Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, as part of an attack that also hit a shopping center, apartment blocks, and other targets, killing at least two people according to authorities.
The Ukrainian military’s general staff accused Russia of “violating the norms of international humanitarian law” in the attack, which they denounced as “deliberate, targeted shelling." They added on March 30 that casualties included servicemen undergoing treatment in the medical center.
An hour before the Kharkiv attack, Zelenskyy said that Kyiv expected a strong response from Western countries to the near daily Russian drone attacks on its territory.
“Our partners should clearly understand: These strikes are not just attacks on Ukrainian civilians, but also on all international efforts -- on the very diplomacy we are trying to use to end this war," Zelenskyy said on March 29 in his previous video address.
In addition to the attacks on Kharkiv, Ukrainian authorities said that Russia fired a ballistic missile and launched drones as part of a barrage that also hit the cities of Dnipro, Kryviy Rih, and Poltava.
In total, Ukrainian authorities said that the overnight attacks killed at least two people and injured 26 others across the country.
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Zelenskyy’s remarks came after a 24-period of intensifying deadly strikes by Russian forces.
The Ukrainian president added that “for too long,” a US proposal for an unconditional cease-fire has been on the table “without a proper response from Russia. That says a lot.”
“Russia is striking at the positions of everyone who wants to end this war. It is impossible to ignore hundreds of Shaheds every night,” he added, referring to Iranian-made drones.
Earlier, a regional governor said a Russian drone attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro late on March 28 killed four people and sparked a large fire in a hotel and restaurant complex as well as at multiple private homes.
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Russian Drone Strike Kills 4 In Dnipro
Russian forces used more than 20 drones in the strike on Dnipro, which also injured 25. Zelenskyy said a pregnant woman was among the injured.
Pictures and videos posted on social media showed flames and large plumes of smoke in the air. Others showed shattered buildings, the badly damaged upper floors of a high-rise apartment block, and streets strewn with smashed glass and pieces of buildings.
Elsewhere on March 29, at least seven people were injured in a missile strike on Kryviy Rih, Ukraine’s state emergency service said.