Ukraine updates: Russia says Putin open to talks with Trump

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to contacts with his US counterpart Donald Trump and that a phone call between them could be arranged at short notice if necessary.

Separately, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, said that Russia and the United States are already discussing possible cooperation on Russian rare earth projects.

Meanwhile, for the second night in a row, Russia attacked the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine.

This is a roundup of headlines on Russia's war in Ukraine for Monday, March 31. 

03/31/2025March 31, 2025

Sweden announces $1.6 billion in new military aid for Ukraine

Sweden will provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth 16 billion kronor ($1.59 billion), the Nordic country's largest package since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Defense Minister Pal Jonson said.

Jonson told reporters that Sweden wanted "to send the message now that we are both intensifying our support and increasing its strength and scope," adding that the war was in a "critical stage."

"Now, all our focus is on supporting Ukraine as much as possible so that they can come into a position of strength during these negotiations," the minister said.

The bulk of the aid package, nine billion kronor, would go toward the purchase of newly manufactured materials, "mainly from the Swedish, but also the European defense industrial base," according to the Swedish government.

About five billion kronor would go to the Ukrainian defense industry and various funds. And around half a billion would come from donations from the Swedish Armed Forces' existing stockpiles.

The government has also said Sweden will ramp up aid to Ukraine this year, boosting the 2025 budget allocation to 40 billion kronor from 25 billion projected earlier.

03/31/2025March 31, 2025

Kremlin says Putin 'remains open' to talks with Trump

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin was still "open" to speaking to Donald Trump after the US president said he was "very angry" with the Russian leader over the lack of progress on a ceasefire in Ukraine.

"This process is time-consuming, probably due to the fact of the complexity of the substance. The president remains open to contact with President Trump," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

He added that "there is no scheduled" phone call between the leaders, but that "when it is necessary, their conversation will be promptly organized."

Trump told NBC News earlier that he was very angry after Putin last week criticized the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's leadership, the television network reported, citing a telephone interview early Sunday.

The US president also threatened to impose secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on buyers of Russian oil if he felt Moscow was blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

03/31/2025March 31, 2025

Russia in talks with US on rare earths deal, top official says

Russia and the United States are discussing possible cooperation on Russian rare earth minerals, according to Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund.

In an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia published on Monday, he said that companies have already expressed interest in these ventures, although he did not provide further details. 

"Rare earth metals and elements are an important area of cooperation, and we have certainly begun discussions on various rare earth projects in Russia," Dmitriev said.

Rare earths are metals essential to modern technology, including smartphones, laptops and electric cars. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested in February that the US might be interested in joint exploration for rare earth deposits in RussiaImage: Conny5/Depositphotos/IMAGO

Dmitriev heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund and is a key player in Moscow's negotiations with Washington to normalize ties. US President Donald Trump has pledged to mend strained relations with Moscow and end Russia's war against Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin first proposed cooperation on raw materials in February. He also noted that Russia's deposits of these critical minerals far exceed those of Ukraine, a country with which Trump is also negotiating a deal.

On Sunday, Trump later warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to back out of the minerals deal with the US. "I see he's trying to back out of the rare earth deal," Trump said, speaking to reporters aboard the Air Force One. If Zelenskyy does that, "he's got some problems, big, big, problems," the US president added.

03/31/2025March 31, 2025

Russia pounds Ukraine's Kharkiv for second night in row

Russia attacked the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine for a second consecutive night, injuring three people, Ukrainian officials said.

The drone attack lasted most of the night, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. "Five industrial buildings of one of the research and production enterprises were damaged," he wrote on social media.

The assault on the city also damaged two kindergartens and 11 apartment buildings, Terekhov said.

Ukraine's air force said it shot down 57 of 131 drones launched by Russia during the overnight attack, which also used two Iskander-M ballistic missiles. Another 45 drones did not reach their targets, probably because of electronic countermeasures, it said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry accused the Ukrainian army of attacking energy facilities in the Bryansk border region in a drone and artillery attack Sunday night.

The attacks came after a US-brokered partial ceasefire on attacks on energy infrastructure. Both sides have accused each other of violating the moratorium.

03/31/2025March 31, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Dmytro Hubenko | Zachary Crellin

This blog brings you the latest on the war in Ukraine as well as the US and European diplomatic efforts around it.

US President Donald Trump expressed anger with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday, threatening secondary tariffs on Russian oil should Moscow and Kyiv not reach a deal to stop fighting in Ukraine.

Separately, Trump warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to back out of the minerals deal with the US.