Donald Trump sits opposite Russian President Vladimir Putin during lunch at the Elysee Palace, Paris, France, November 11, 2018 (Guido Bergmann/Bundesregieriung/Getty)

Sunday’s Coverage: Russia’s Deadly Strikes on Hospital in Kharkiv

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1509 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has marked the third anniversary of the liberation of Bucha, near Kyiv, where Russia’s forces murdered more than 450 civilians.

See also Identifying Russia’s Mass Killers In Bucha

UPDATE 1500 GMT:

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas posted ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Madrid:

UPDATE 1453 GMT:

Sweden is allocating 16 billion kronor ($1.6 billion) in military aid to Ukraine, its largest package during Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Defense Minister Pål Jonson said, “[We want] to send the message now that we are both intensifying our support and increasing its strength and scope. There are strong reasons to do so in light of the seriousness of the situation in Ukraine.”

The package is the 19th that Stockholm has provided to Ukraine since February , with the total estimated at 80 billion kronor ($8.0 billion).

The Netherlands has committed €2 billion ($2.2 billion) in support to Ukraine this year.

The assistance include support for Ukraine’s Drone Line project, expanding the use of UAVs within elite units of the ground forces and the state border guard.

“These drones will make a difference on the battlefield and literally save lives,” Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said in a statement.

UPDATE 1424 GMT:

As the Kremlin tries to regain the initiative with Donald Trump (see 1046 GMT), spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says Vladimir Putin “remains open to contact” with the reality TV star.

Peskov said there was no phone call scheduled , but “when it is necessary, their conversation will be promptly organized”.

UPDATE 1056 GMT:

Two civilians have been killed and 17 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

Air defenses downed 57 of 131 drones launched by Russia overnight, and 45 were lost to electronic counter-measures.

Russia also fired two Iskander-M ballistic missiles.

The fatalities were in the city of Pokrovsk, which has held out against a Russian offensive since last autumn, in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

Casualties were reported in the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kherson regions.

UPDATE 1046 GMT:

Ukraine has received around $400 million from the International Monetary Fund after the seventh review of the Extended Fund Facility arrangement.

The total IMF support under the EFF is more than $10 billion. The funds help stabilize the Ukrainian economy during Russia’s invasion, aid its postwar recovery, and promote economic growth.

UPDATE 1014 GMT:

Russia is trying to regain the initiative with Donald Trump by declaring that it has begun talks with the US on a rare earth minerals deal.

The head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, declared to pro-Kremlin outlet Izvestia, “Rare earth metals are an important area of cooperation and, of course, we have started discussions on various rare earth metals and projects in Russia.”

Dmitriev was part of Russia’s team in direct talks with the US in February. He is a long-time contact of the Trump camp, holding secret talks with Erik Prince, the founder of the Blackwater mercenary group, in January 2017.

He asserted some companies have already expressed interest in the projects. Izvestia said there may be further discussion at the next round of US-Russia talks in April in Saudi Arabia.

On Sunday, while lashing out at Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump snapped at Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky:

He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal and if he does that he’s got some problems, big, big problems.

He wants to be a member of NATO, but he’s never going to be a member of Nato. He understands that.

Last week the Trump Administration sent a new proposal to the Zelensky Government, demanding first rights to purchase resources and recouping all the aid given to Ukraine during Russia’s full-scale invasion — plus 4% annual interest — before any access by Kyiv to profits.

The demand supersedes an agreement under which the US and Ukraine would have 50-50 control of mineral revenues. That was scuttled when US Vice President J.D. Vance ambushed Zelensky in a White House encounter on February 28.

Zelensky said Ukrainian lawyers need to review the draft, “entirely different” from the aborted agreement, before he can comment. He made clear that Kyiv will not recognize billions of dollars of past US aid as loans to be repaid.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Russia over Vladimir Putin’s refusal of a partial ceasefire in Moscow’s 37-month invasion of Ukraine.

Trump said in an interview on Sunday morning that he is “very angry” and “pissed off” over Putin effectively calling for the removal of Ukraine’s Zelensky Government, saying the comments were “not going in the right location”.

On Friday, Putin said, “It is still not clear with whom to sign certain documents, and it is still not clear what power they have, because tomorrow other leaders will come…through elections.”

He insisted on the installation of a temporary government, under the supervision of the UN and several nations, which would hold the elections.

Russia has continued nightly missile and drone strikes on civilian areas in Ukraine despite supposedly accepting a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure. Last week the Kremlin refused to accept a Ukraine-US agreement on a halt to attacks in the Black Sea, demanding the removal of American sanctions on Moscow.

Trump told NBC News of his anger when Putin challenged Zelensky’s “credibility” — even though Trump, only weeks ago, was calling the Ukrainian President a “dictator”, lying that he has only “4%” support, and demanding that Kyiv hold elections despite martial law.

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.

That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States. There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.

He declared that the tariffs on Russia would come within a month if there is no ceasefire.

Trump said Putin knows he is angry, but added that he has “a very good relationship with him” and “the anger dissipates quickly…if he does the right thing”. He said they plan to speak again this week.

Later, Trump softened his threat to Putin, telling The Guardian:

No, I don’t think so, I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word … I was disappointed in a certain way. Some of the things that he said over the last day or two having to do with Zelenskyy … he’s supposed to be making a deal with him, whether you like him or you don’t like him. So I wasn’t happy with that.

Russia Doubles Down

Far from backing away, the Kremlin doubled down on its demand for the removal of the Zelensky Government.

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the European Union, Kirill Logvinov, presented a detailed plan on Sunday for the temporary government in Ukraine.

Logvinov said the UN should reach an agreement, following the implementation of a ceasefire, on the transfer of power to the international organization. The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, should then prepare a report on the temporary administration, to be considered by the Security Council.

Guterres said on Friday, after Putin’s declaration, that Ukraine has a legitimate government which must be respected.