In a phone interview with NBC News on March 30, U.S. President Donald **Trump** expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir **Putin**, saying he's "_pissed off_" and "_very angry_" about **Putin**'s ongoing focus on **Ukraine**'s President Volodymyr Zelensky. **Trump** criticized **Putin**’s recent demand for a transitional government to replace Zelensky, suggesting that such a request indicates that peace talks are not progressing as hoped.
**Trump** also warned that he would impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil if peace efforts fail, particularly if he believes that **Russia** is responsible for hindering progress. “_If **Russia** and I can’t reach a deal to stop the bloodshed in **Ukraine**, and if I believe it’s **Russia**’s fault—though it might not be—I’ll impose a 25% tariff on all Russian oil,_” **Trump** stated. He further added that any Russian oil buyers would be banned from conducting business in the U.S.
Despite his anger, **Trump** emphasized his positive relationship with **Putin**, remarking that his frustration would subside quickly if **Russia** took the right actions. He also revealed plans to have another conversation with **Putin** soon.
Meanwhile, Moscow’s rejection of a 30-day ceasefire, brokered by the U.S. and **Ukraine** in March, further complicated peace efforts. **Russia** demanded the truce include conditions that would weaken **Ukraine**'s defense, including halting foreign military aid. In response, **Russia**'s attacks on **Ukraine** have intensified, including the targeting of a military hospital in Kharkiv on March 30.
Though **Trump** has occasionally discussed imposing additional sanctions or tariffs on **Russia**, he has yet to take significant action against Moscow. Instead, he has focused on pressuring **Ukraine** and President Zelensky, including cutting off U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing. **Trump** has also pressed Kyiv to agree to deals that would allow Washington to benefit financially from **Ukraine**'s mineral resources.
In other developments, **Ukraine** has accused **Russia** of committing a war crime after a Russian drone struck a military hospital in Kharkiv overnight. The Ukrainian General Staff described the attack as a "_deliberate, targeted strike_" and stated that soldiers being treated at the facility were injured. The strike also damaged the hospital and nearby residential buildings, with photos showing significant destruction at the hospital, including a demolished entrance.
In addition to the hospital attack, Russian drones targeted apartment blocks and a shopping mall in central Kharkiv, killing at least two people and injuring 25, according to the regional governor. **Ukraine** has vowed to present evidence of the war crime to international criminal justice bodies, emphasizing that war crimes have no statute of limitations.
This attack is part of a broader pattern of nightly drone assaults on Ukrainian cities. Recently, Dnipro in southeastern **Ukraine** was struck heavily, causing major fires. Over the past week, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that **Russia** launched over 1,000 drones, nine missiles, and more than 1,300 guided aerial bombs, targeting multiple regions of Ukraine. While **Ukraine** successfully intercepted a significant portion of these strikes, Zelensky criticized **Russia** for dragging out the war and urged international allies, including the U.S. and Europe, to respond to what he described as terror against the Ukrainian people.
**Russia** has also escalated its ground offensive, with reports indicating some of the heaviest assaults of the year. The Ukrainian General Staff noted that Russian forces launched over 200 assaults per day for three consecutive days. This surge follows warnings from Zelensky that **Russia** is preparing for a major spring offensive, even while engaging in negotiations with the **Trump** administration. The heaviest Russian ground attacks are focused on eastern **Ukraine**, particularly around Pokrovsk, a critical defensive area that **Russia** has attempted to capture for months.
Although **Russia** had reduced its offensive operations recently due to unfavorable ground conditions and heavy casualties, it appears to have resumed its efforts, likely hoping to capitalize on any diplomatic progress that might weaken **Ukraine**'s defenses and the support from the West.