After cancelling his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump is now turning to China in hopes that President Xi Jinping can help persuade Moscow to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump has signaled a major diplomatic shift by looking to China for help in resolving the Ukraine war. Following repeated but fruitless talks with Vladimir Putin, Trump expressed disappointment, saying, โEvery time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they donโt go anywhere.โ
The White House confirmed that Trumpโs scheduled meeting with Putin has been cancelled, citing the lack of meaningful progress toward peace.
Trump hopes Xi Jinpingโs influence may helpย
Ahead of his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea next month, Trump said he believes Xi could play a crucial role in bringing Moscow to the negotiation table.
โI think he can have a big influence on Putinโฆ Heโs a respected man, a very strong leader. Weโll certainly be talking about Russia and Ukraine,โ Trump said, suggesting that Chinaโs leverage over Russia could help end the conflict.
Washingtonโs new pressure on Moscowย
The US Treasury announced new sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil, Russiaโs largest oil companies.ย These sanctions are intended to choke off funding for the Kremlinโs war operations.
“Today’s actions increase pressure on Russia’s energy sector and degrade the Kremlin’s ability to raise revenue for its war machine and support its weakened economy. The United States will continue to advocate for a peaceful resolution to the war, and a permanent peace depends entirely on Russia’s willingness to negotiate in good faith. Treasury will continue to use its authorities in support of a peace process,” the statement read.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, โGiven President Putinโs refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russiaโs two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlinโs war machine. We are prepared to take further action if necessary.โ
Trump again cites conversation with PM Modi
On the other hand, Trump also announced that India will stop purchasing Russian oil by the end of this year. He shared that he had an โabsolutely greatโ conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the matter. This came days after the US President claimed that PM Modi promised him over a phone call that India would stop buying Russian oil, a claim that was later refuted by the MEA.
“India has told me that they are going to stop buying oil from Russia by the end of the year; I spoke to PM Modi yesterday and they have been absolutely great,” he said.