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Russian President Vladimir Putin's calls to establish a temporary government in Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelensky were "not appreciated" by U.S. President Donald Trump, a State Department spokesperson said on March 31.
"There was an idea from Russia about a temporary administration that was not appreciated by the president," State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters during a press briefing. "Ukraine is... a constitutional democracy. Governance in Ukraine is determined by its constitution and the Ukrainian people."
The State Departments comments on the matter comes just one day after Trump said that he was "pissed off" and "very angry" regarding Putin's fixation over Zelensky's presidency.
Putin suggested on March 28 that a transitional administration, overseen by the U.N. and several countries, could be formed in Ukraine to organize elections — a proposal that the White House immediately dismissed.
"We are committed to the diplomacy necessary to achieve a full ceasefire and to bring the parties to the negotiating table for a final and lasting settlement. President Trump has made clear that Russia and Ukraine need to move to a full ceasefire now. None of that has changed," the spokesperson said.
Ahead of formal peace talks, Putin reiterated his meritless claim that Zelensky is "illegitimate" and said that he has no right to sign any documents in potential peace negotiations.
As ceasefire negotiations continue to drag on, Trump again threatened on March 31 to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil exports if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not "make a deal" to end the war in Ukraine.
"I want to make sure that he follows through, and I think he will. I don’t want to go secondary tariffs on his oil. But I think, you know, it’s something I would do if I thought he wasn’t doing the job," Trump said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 31 that Trump has "expressed displeasure" with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders amid efforts to secure a ceasefire in the full-scale war — with Trump expressing his frustration about his ongoing effort to reach a minerals deal with Ukrainian officials.
Dmytro Basmat
