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Russia says uncommon earth metallic talks with the US have begun – report
Washington and Moscow have begun discussions on initiatives associated to Russian uncommon earth metals, the pinnacle of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, has mentioned.
“Uncommon earth metals are an necessary space of cooperation and, after all, now we have began discussions on varied uncommon earth metals and initiatives in Russia,” he advised pro-Kremlin Russian newspaper Izvestia.
Dmitriev, who was a part of Russia’s negotiating workforce at talks with US officers in Saudi Arabia in February, additionally mentioned some firms have already expressed curiosity within the initiatives, with out going into extra element.
Izvestia reported the cooperation could also be additional mentioned on the subsequent spherical of Russia-US talks which will happen in a few weeks in Saudi Arabia.
In February, Vladimir Putin instructed that the US is likely to be considering exploring joint exploration for uncommon earth metals deposits in Russia, which has the world’s fifth-largest reserves of the metals utilized in lasers and army tools.
Donald Trump mentioned on Thursday the US would signal a minerals and pure sources cope with Ukraine quickly. Kyiv appears to have little selection however to signal a deal if it needs US army assist to proceed.
Trump has claimed any such deal would permit the US to recoup tons of of billions of {dollars} it spent on army support to Kyiv. Ukraine needs the deal to incorporate references to long-term US safety ensures to guard it from Russian assaults after the struggle is over.
However the specifics are nonetheless being negotiated and the US has to date signalled that it’s going to not present vital safety ensures to Ukraine as a part of the settlement. You’ll be able to learn extra about what uncommon earth minerals are and why Trump needs entry to them on this helpful explainer.
Key occasions
Closing abstract
We at the moment are closing the Ukraine rolling protection. Here’s a abstract of occasions:
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Washington and Moscow have reportedly begun discussions on initiatives associated to each nations collectively exploiting Russian uncommon earth metals. The assembly comes after Donald Trump accused Volodymyr Zelenskyy of making an attempt to “renegotiate” the minerals cope with Kyiv that will give the US entry to Ukraine’s uncommon earths.
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Trump mentioned he’s “pissed off” and “very indignant” with Vladimir Putin over his method to a ceasefire in Ukraine and threatened to levy tariffs on Moscow’s oil exports if the Russian president doesn’t comply with a truce inside a month.
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Trump signalled that he would levy a 25% or 50% tariff that will have an effect on nations shopping for Russian oil in a phone interview with NBC Information early Sunday morning.
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The Netherlands and Sweden each introduced vital safety and army support packages to assist Ukraine in its persevering with efforts to fend off Russian assaults.
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Russia carried out airstrikes in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis, for a second evening, whereas Moscow accused Ukraine’s military of attacking vitality websites within the Bryansk border area in a drone and artillery strike on Sunday night.
Thanks for following alongside at the moment. You’ll be able to learn all our Ukraine protection right here.
Poland and the US will signal an settlement price almost $2bn for the supply of logistical assist for the Patriot air defence system, Poland’s defence minister mentioned on Monday.
“The protection of Polish skies has no worth,” Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz advised journalists.
The settlement with the US issues the supply of logistical assist for the Patriot system inside the armed forces and contains technical assist elements in addition to coaching, Reuters stories.
Poland’s defence ministry mentioned implementing the settlement would allow the operational readiness of Patriot launchers, which kind the inspiration of the Wisla programme. It goals to counter, amongst different issues, short-range tactical ballistic missiles, together with manoeuvring missiles.
Poland acquired its first two Patriot system batteries from the US in 2018 beneath the Wisla programme.
Galvanised by Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, Poland has develop into Nato’s largest spender by way of the proportion of its nationwide wealth dedicated to defence. Warsaw mentioned it should spend 4.1% of GDP on defence in 2024 with a pledge to extend this to 4.7% in 2025.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has lately mentioned each grownup male would obtain army coaching and has backed Poland withdrawing from worldwide conventions that ban the usage of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions.
China and India might be affected if Donald Trump introduces tariffs of 25-50% in opposition to nations shopping for Russian oil, analysts and officers have instructed. My colleague Dan Sabbagh stories that the US president advised NBC he would impose such measures inside a month “if a deal isn’t made, and if I believe it was Russia’s fault”, as he vented frustration at Vladimir Putin’s delaying ways and makes an attempt to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Some nations, together with China and India, will not be taking part in anti-war sanctions in opposition to Russian oil. Secondary sanctions or tariffs imposed immediately on them by the US might additional restrict Putin’s entry to grease income to fund the struggle.
Whereas not becoming a member of the worldwide sanctions in opposition to Russia, China has been cautious about breaching them in case it attracts secondary penalties. Some Chinese language banks, for instance, have curtailed dealings with Russian firms for worry of being barred from the worldwide banking system.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has marked the third anniversary of the Ukrainian military retaking Bucha, which was seized by Russia quickly after Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
Ukrainian forces took again management of the small cities of Bucha and Irpin to the northwest of Kyiv in late March in 2022 as Russian troopers rapidly deserted their try and seize the capital Kyiv.
As Russian troops withdrew from Bucha, the size of the destruction and horror there grew to become clear.
Witnesses of alleged atrocities in Bucha advised the Guardian that Russian troopers had fired on males fleeing the city, and had killed civilians at will.
Kyiv says greater than 1,400 folks have been killed in Bucha throughout the occupation together with 37 youngsters, greater than 175 folks have been present in mass graves and torture chambers, and at the very least 9,000 Russian struggle crimes have been recognized.
Moscow denies accusations of executions, rapes and torture by its occupying troops who left our bodies within the streets after they fled.
Paying tribute to Ukrainians who’ve been killed within the struggle and expressing gratitude to Ukrainian troopers nonetheless preventing to defend their nation, Zelenskyy wrote in a submit on X on Monday:
And the world noticed what the Russian occupation really is: folks killed within the streets, folks tortured, graves within the yards of extraordinary homes.
Since then, nobody on this planet can say they have no idea what Ukraine is defending.
Three years in the past, our warriors liberated Bucha from the Russian occupiers. And the world noticed what the Russian occupation really is: folks killed within the streets, folks tortured, graves within the yards of extraordinary homes.
Since then, nobody on this planet can say they have no idea what… pic.twitter.com/4mzgpzxSlz
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 31, 2025
Netherlands’ defence ministry pledges over $2bn for Ukraine in 2025
In an earlier submit, we reported that Sweden introduced a contemporary army support bundle to Kyiv price about 16 billion kronor ($1.5bn; £1.2bn).
Now, Dutch defence minister Ruben Brekelmans and defence secretary Gijs Tuinman have introduced the Netherlands will allocate €2bn ($2.2bn; £1.7bn) to assist Kyiv this yr.
The safety help will embrace assist for Ukraine’s Drone Line undertaking, a army initiative that may broaden the usage of drones inside elite items of the bottom forces and the state border guard service.
Unveiling particulars of the undertaking in a Fb submit final month, Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov wrote:
We’re launching a revolutionary undertaking that may radically strengthen our brigades and scale the expertise of successfully destroying the enemy – the Drone Line.
It is a new customary of warfare, the place unmanned programs have gotten a key ingredient of fight operations, serving to our defenders carry out probably the most troublesome duties.
We’re specializing in the very best UAV items. The Drone Line will scale the best unmanned programs within the land forces and the state border guard service.
“These drones will make a distinction on the battlefield and actually save lives,” Brekelmans mentioned in a press release on Monday.
The Netherlands has been a staunch ally to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion three years in the past, reportedly offering Kyiv with about €7.33bn ($7.87bn) in assist up to now.
In a video posted to X forward of the Madrid assembly, Kaja Kallas mentioned at the moment marks three weeks since Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire however “Russia is enjoying video games and probably not wanting peace”.
The Madrid assembly may also talk about European defence extra usually as, she mentioned, “every kind of threats are coming our manner”.
Europe’s high diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has urged Russia to indicate goodwill and agree on a ceasefire in Ukraine.
On Monday, the EU’s excessive consultant for international affair mentioned “giving again Ukrainian youngsters which have been deported to Russia” and “releasing prisoners of struggle” have been examples of gestures Russia might make to indicate goodwill.
Talking earlier than a gathering of European international ministers in Madrid to debate the struggle in Ukraine, she additionally known as on the US to use stress on the Kremlin to place an finish to the three-year-old battle.
In the meantime, the French international minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, mentioned Russia owed a transparent response to the US on whether or not it needs to go on a peace path in any respect amid Donald Trump’s feedback that he was “very indignant” with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Sweden donates main support bundle to Ukraine
Sweden will donate 16bn kronor ($1.6bn, £1.24bn, €1.48bn) in contemporary army support to Ukraine, the federal government mentioned on Monday – the biggest such bundle from the Nordic nation since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson advised reporters that Sweden needed “to ship the message now that we’re each intensifying our assist and rising its energy and scope”.
“There are sturdy causes to take action in gentle of the seriousness of the scenario in Ukraine,” Jonson added.
The vast majority of the help bundle, 9bn kronor, would go in direction of the acquisition of newly produced supplies, “primarily from the Swedish, but in addition the European defence industrial base.”
The supplies can be chosen judged by “Ukrainian wants,” the federal government mentioned.
The newest bundle is the nineteenth tranche of army support that Sweden has supplied to Ukraine, with the whole estimated at 80 billion kronor, in keeping with the federal government.
Listed here are some fuller feedback from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, as carried by BBC Information:
We proceed to work with the American facet, totally on checking out our bilaterial relations, which had been tremendously broken by the earlier [US] administration. And we’re additionally engaged on a number of areas relating to the Ukraine peace course of.
Work is ongoing. We now have nothing concrete but that we might or ought to inform you. This course of is drawn out attributable to its difficult nature. The President stays open to contact with President Trump. A phone name might be organised rapidly if wanted.
Kremlin says Putin ‘stays open’ to talking to Trump (once more)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has been speaking to journalists in his common every day media briefing. He has been requested about Donald Trump saying he was “very indignant” with Vladimir Putin over his method to a ceasefire in Ukraine (see opening submit for extra particulars on this).
“This course of is time-consuming, in all probability because of the truth of the complexity of the substance. The president stays open to contact with President Trump,” Peskov mentioned, including that “there isn’t any scheduled” cellphone name between the leaders, however that “when it’s vital, their dialog will probably be promptly organised”.
There have to date been two introduced cellphone calls between Putin and Trump this yr – on 12 February and on 18 March – although there was hypothesis about rather more frequent contact, and in addition stories that they spoke earlier than Trump was elected final yr.
Peskov additionally confirmed that Putin is predicted to fulfill China’s international minister, Wang Yi, throughout his go to to Moscow this week.
Two folks have been killed and 25 have been injured in and round Ukraine’s second metropolis, Kharkiv, in Russian assaults on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, in keeping with officers.
In a single day, Russia carried out extra air strikes on Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis, with two folks reportedly being injured within the newest assault. Listed here are a number of the newest photos taken within the aftermath of the strikes:
Russia has accused Ukraine’s military of attacking vitality websites within the Bryansk border area in a drone and artillery strike on Sunday night.
“The continuation of deliberate assaults by the Ukrainian military on Russia’s vitality services is proof of the Kyiv regime’s full lack of dedication to its obligations relating to settling the battle in Ukraine,” the Russian defence ministry mentioned.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy have agreed to a partial, loosely outlined ceasefire masking vitality and civilian infrastructure – however each Moscow and Kyiv have accused the opposite of violating the settlement.
Trump ‘operating out of endurance’ with Putin over Ukraine ceasefire, says Finnish president

Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour is diplomatic editor for the Guardian
Donald Trump is dropping endurance with Vladimir Putin’s stalling ways over the Ukraine ceasefire, the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, mentioned after spending a number of hours with the US president – together with profitable a golf competitors with him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday.
Stubb, who additionally spent two days with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, final week in Helsinki instructed in a Guardian interview a plan for a deadline of 20 April, by which period Putin ought to be required to adjust to a full ceasefire.
Stubb identified {that a} third golf accomplice on Saturday, the Republican senator Lindsey Graham, already has a invoice within the US Senate proposing what he has described as “bone-breaking” US sanctions on Russia if it didn’t settle for an unconditional ceasefire.
The spherical of golf diplomacy appeared to make a constructive impression on Trump, who wrote afterwards on his Reality Social platform: “I simply performed a spherical of Golf with Alexander Stubb, President of Finland. He’s an excellent participant, and we gained the Males’s Member-Visitor Golf Event at Trump Worldwide Golf Membership in Palm Seaside County…
“President Stubb and I look ahead to strengthening the partnership between america and Finland, and that features the acquisition and improvement of a lot of badly wanted Icebreakers for the U.S., delivering Peace and Worldwide Safety for our International locations, and the World.”
Requested how he thought Trump would specific his impatience with Putin, Stubb mentioned issues can be clear in a matter of days. “If you spend seven hours with somebody, you at the very least get an instinct of the route wherein we’re going,” he mentioned.
You’ll be able to learn the total story right here:
Russia says uncommon earth metallic talks with the US have begun – report
Washington and Moscow have begun discussions on initiatives associated to Russian uncommon earth metals, the pinnacle of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, has mentioned.
“Uncommon earth metals are an necessary space of cooperation and, after all, now we have began discussions on varied uncommon earth metals and initiatives in Russia,” he advised pro-Kremlin Russian newspaper Izvestia.
Dmitriev, who was a part of Russia’s negotiating workforce at talks with US officers in Saudi Arabia in February, additionally mentioned some firms have already expressed curiosity within the initiatives, with out going into extra element.
Izvestia reported the cooperation could also be additional mentioned on the subsequent spherical of Russia-US talks which will happen in a few weeks in Saudi Arabia.
In February, Vladimir Putin instructed that the US is likely to be considering exploring joint exploration for uncommon earth metals deposits in Russia, which has the world’s fifth-largest reserves of the metals utilized in lasers and army tools.
Donald Trump mentioned on Thursday the US would signal a minerals and pure sources cope with Ukraine quickly. Kyiv appears to have little selection however to signal a deal if it needs US army assist to proceed.
Trump has claimed any such deal would permit the US to recoup tons of of billions of {dollars} it spent on army support to Kyiv. Ukraine needs the deal to incorporate references to long-term US safety ensures to guard it from Russian assaults after the struggle is over.
However the specifics are nonetheless being negotiated and the US has to date signalled that it’s going to not present vital safety ensures to Ukraine as a part of the settlement. You’ll be able to learn extra about what uncommon earth minerals are and why Trump needs entry to them on this helpful explainer.
In a submit on X, Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, mentioned that his nation’s state price range acquired round $400m (€369m; £309m) from the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) after the profitable seventh assessment of the Prolonged Fund Facility (EFF) association.
The overall IMF assist beneath this program quantities to over $10bn, he mentioned. The EFF funds are supposed to assist stabilise the Ukrainian economic system throughout the struggle, support its postwar restoration and promote financial progress because the nation edges nearer in direction of potential EU membership.
What did Putin say to make Trump so indignant at him?
Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at what Putin mentioned that prompted Trump to say he was “very indignant” at him.
Talking within the northwestern Russian metropolis of Murmansk on Friday, Putin had instructed the institution of an interim authorities in Ukraine beneath UN supervision, which might be in place “with a purpose to maintain a democratic election (in Ukraine), with a purpose to herald a reliable authorities trusted by folks”.
By “competent authorities” he means one not led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the present Ukrainian president. Ukrainian legislation doesn’t permit elections beneath martial legislation, which was declared when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Putin went on to say that Moscow would then maintain so-called peace talks with the brand new authorities, which he mentioned would end in “respectable paperwork” being signed that will be “recognised worldwide” as “dependable and steady”.
He mentioned “such apply does exist”, citing examples of the UN’s involvement in nations equivalent to East Timor, which the UN took over the administration of and oversaw the territory’s transition to independence.
Putin was quoted by the Tass information company as having mentioned:
Such apply does exist and, technically, it’s attainable to debate the potential for introducing interim governance in Ukraine beneath the UN auspices with america, with European nations, naturally, with our companions and pals.
With the intention to maintain a democratic election there, with a purpose to herald a reliable authorities trusted by folks.
After which maintain talks with it a couple of peace treaty and signal respectable paperwork which might be acknowledged worldwide and be dependable and steady.
“You can say that I used to be very indignant, pissed off, when… when Putin began stepping into Zelensky’s credibility, as a result of that’s not entering into the proper location,” Trump reportedly mentioned in an early morning cellphone name with NBC Information on Sunday.
The Guardian’s defence and safety editor, Dan Sabbagh, has this snippet concerning the ineffectiveness of Trump’s negotiating ways with regard to attempting to finish the struggle in Ukraine. You’ll be able to learn the total story right here.
Throughout the election marketing campaign, Trump had mentioned that he might finish the Ukraine struggle inside 24 hours, feedback he extra lately claimed have been “slightly bit sarcastic”.
That has proved elusive and his ways to pressure Russia and Ukraine into agreeing a ceasefire have to date been targeted on bullying and pressurising Kyiv.
Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, berated Zelenskyy on the Oval Workplace a month in the past, which was adopted by Washington slicing off intelligence and army support.
Kyiv then signed as much as the precept of a 30-day ceasefire if the Kremlin would reciprocate in return for intelligence and support being restored.
Putin mentioned earlier this month that though he was in favour of a ceasefire, “there are nuances” and any halt in preventing ought to “take away the foundation causes of this disaster”, a sweeping however obscure demand.
The Russian president and his allies have known as for the demilitarisation of Ukraine, insisted that the presence of western troops as peacekeepers can be unacceptable and demanded the total annexation of 4 areas, three of which it solely partially occupies.
Trump says he’s ‘pissed off’ with Putin’s method to ceasefire as strikes on Ukraine proceed
Welcome again to our dwell protection of Russia’s struggle on Ukraine. We’re main at the moment’s weblog with Donald Trump saying he was “very indignant” and “pissed off” over Vladimir Putin’s method to a ceasefire in Ukraine, in feedback that mark an enormous shift in tone in the best way the US president normally speaks concerning the Russian chief.
Trump additionally took intention on the Russian president’s criticism of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s credibility, regardless of the US President having beforehand known as his Ukrainian counterpart a “dictator”.
Putin lately mentioned that Zelenskyy – who was democratically elected in 2019 – lacks the legitimacy to signal a peace deal and instructed that Ukraine wanted exterior governance.
Trump, who is keen for Kyiv and Moscow to swiftly comply with a broad ceasefire deal, indicated he would levy a 25% or 50% tariff that will have an effect on nations shopping for Russian oil in a phone interview with NBC Information.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I believe it was Russia’s fault, which it won’t be, but when I believe it was Russia’s fault, I’m going to place secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil popping out of Russia,” Trump mentioned.
“That will be that for those who purchase oil from Russia, you possibly can’t do enterprise in america. There will probably be a 25% tariff on all … on all oil, a 25 to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
Trump continued: “I used to be very indignant, pissed off” when Putin “began stepping into Zelenskyy’s credibility, as a result of that’s not entering into the proper location, you perceive?”
He mentioned “new management means you’re not gonna have a deal for a very long time, proper” and that he needed to exert stress on the Kremlin, which has solely agreed to restricted maritime and vitality ceasefires to date.
Seemingly responding to Trump’s feedback, Zelenskyy mentioned in his Sunday evening deal with that Putin “doesn’t care about diplomacy”, including that assaults have continued to assault his nation regardless of ceasefire proposals (being instructed by Washington over latest weeks).
“For a number of weeks now, there was a US proposal for an unconditional ceasefire. And virtually day by day, in response to this proposal, there are Russian drones, bombs, artillery shelling and ballistic strikes,” the Ukrainian president mentioned.
“Russia deserves elevated stress – all of the powerful measures that may break its capability to wage struggle and maintain the system that wishes nothing however struggle,” Zelensky added.
In another developments:
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Donald Trump mentioned Volodymyr Zelenskyy needs to again out of a vital minerals deal, which might grant the US entry to Ukraine’s uncommon mineral reserves.
“He’s attempting to again out of the uncommon earth deal and if he does that he’s acquired some issues, massive, massive issues,” Trump advised reporters yesterday.
“He needs to be a member of Nato, however he’s by no means going to be a member of Nato. He understands that.” -
Russia bombed town of Kharkiv in north-eastern Ukraine for the second evening in a row, injuring two folks, sparking fires and damaging a kindergarten and personal homes, Ukrainian officers mentioned early on Monday. The assaults lasted many of the evening, mentioned Kharkiv’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov. Zelenskyy on Sunday mentioned Moscow had fired greater than 1,000 drones prior to now week and known as for a response from the US and different allies.
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Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Sunday that its forces had gained management over Zaporizhzhia settlement in Ukraine’s Donetsk area. The village is unrelated to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, which is in one other area. The Russian declare was reported by Reuters, which mentioned it was not in a position to confirm it. The village is 7km from the border of Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk area. The Donetsk area borders Dnipropetrovsk to the east.
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The Ukrainian air pressure mentioned Russia launched 131 drones and two ballistic missiles throughout in a single day assaults, 57 of which have been shot down and one other 45 drones didn’t attain their targets, probably attributable to digital countermeasures. The army didn’t specify what occurred to the remaining 29 drones.
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Russia’s air defence items intercepted and destroyed 66 Ukrainian drones in a single day, the Russian defence ministry mentioned this morning. 41 of the drones have been destroyed over the border Bryansk area, 24 over the Kaluga area and one over the Kursk area. There have been no quick stories of any casualties.