Trump Expresses Discontent with Statements from Both Sides of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
US President Donald Trump has expressed his discontent with the statements from both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump is working hard to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine and has shown his displeasure with the comments made by leaders on both sides. During an interview with NBC on March 30, Trump stated that he would impose 'secondary tariffs' on Russian oil if Moscow fails to reach a peace deal on Ukraine. Trump also expressed his anger over Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and officials in Kiev. Putin, speaking in the Russian northern port city of Murmansk on March 27, suggested that external governance of countries had been practiced in international affairs before and could pave the way for legitimate talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the reports that Trump was angered by Putin's words about Zelensky, stating that the stories were based on paraphrased remarks and lacked direct quotes to support them.