**Kremlin Remains Willing to Talk to US Despite Trump’s Anger**
The Kremlin says it is still willing to engage with the United States, despite reports that President Donald Trump is angry over Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s latest remarks on Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made this statement on March 31.
Peskov was responding to reports that Trump was upset over Putin’s comments about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to NBC News, Trump said during a call with the network’s Kristen Welker that Putin’s demands for a transitional government in Ukraine suggested that peace talks were not going well.
**Russia Rejected 30-Day Truce**
Moscow had rejected a full 30-day truce agreed upon by the US and Ukraine earlier this month. Russia had demanded conditions that would weaken Kyiv’s defenses, such as a halt to foreign military aid.
Despite this, a partial ceasefire was mediated in March. However, Russia targeted energy infrastructure in Kherson on March 27, despite claims that it was adhering to a moratorium on such strikes since March 18.
**US Sanctions and Tariffs**
Trump has floated measures such as additional sanctions and tariffs on Russian oil but has yet to take concrete steps to pressure Moscow. Instead, the US president has largely focused his leverage on Ukraine and Zelensky, cutting off US military aid and intelligence sharing once.
**Ukraine Updates**
In other news from Ukraine, three men were detained, including a Russian sleeper agent, according to the SBU. The Moscow metro website was also unavailable on March 31, displaying a message from hacked Ukrainian Railways.
Ukrainian and US government teams are continuing discussions on a mineral deal, which includes support for Ukraine’s air defense, artillery, satellite communications, and maritime capacity.
**European Updates**
A French court found Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, guilty of embezzling EU funds and banned her from running for public office.