Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would like China’s help in persuading Russia to end the war in Ukraine, as he headed to Asia for a high-stakes diplomatic tour that will include talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
“I’d like China to help us out with Russia,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, BBC reported. “I have a very good relationship with President Xi. Very good. And he wants to see the war end.”
The comments came amid Trump’s growing frustration with Moscow after months of failed efforts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. A summit with Vladimir Putin in August produced little progress, and this week Trump imposed the first direct US sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, a move the Kremlin dismissed as having no real impact.
“Every time I speak to Vladimir, I have good conversations and then they don’t go anywhere,” Trump said earlier this week, acknowledging the difficulty of achieving a breakthrough.
His remarks come after a series of setbacks for Kyiv. The US has declined to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles, the EU has withheld frozen Russian assets earmarked for Ukraine’s defence, and fresh Russian strikes have killed several civilians in Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Trump’s outreach to Xi comes amid tense US-China trade relations. Although Thursday’s meeting is expected to focus on economic disputes, Trump said he would discuss “everything” with the Chinese leader, including the Ukraine war.
Beijing has maintained close ties with Moscow throughout the conflict. Despite repeated US accusations that China is aiding Russia’s war effort — through energy purchases and supplies of dual-use materials — Beijing has denied any direct involvement. Xi and Putin have repeatedly described their relationship as a “friendship with no limits,” while China’s imports of Russian gas and oil have helped cushion Moscow against Western sanctions.
As Trump made his remarks, emergency workers in Ukraine were responding to new Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, where several people were killed. “No country should be left alone in the face of such evil,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram, urging Western allies to bolster support.
In Russia’s Belgorod region, local authorities ordered evacuations near a dam damaged by a Ukrainian strike, warning of possible flooding.
(With Inputs from BBC)
