Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin might come to regret invading Ukraine
During talks with US President Donald Trump last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin may eventually come to regret his decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This was reported by several people familiar with the US assessment of the summit, which took place in Beijing, according to the Financial Times.
According to them, the subject of Ukraine was discussed during wide-ranging talks between the leaders. Trump also proposed that the US, China and Russia cooperate against the International Criminal Court.
The sources noted that Xi Jinping’s comments on Putin and the war were harsher than his previous assessments. One person familiar with Xi Jinping’s talks with former US President Joe Biden said that previously, the Chinese leader had held “frank and direct” conversations about Russia and Ukraine, but had not commented on Putin himself or the war.
News of these remarks emerged ahead of Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, scheduled for Tuesday. This will take place four days after Xi Jinping’s meeting with Donald Trump. For Trump, this was only his second meeting with the Chinese leader since returning to the White House.
Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, three weeks after a trip to China, where he and Xi Jinping announced a ‘boundless partnership’ between the two countries.
Putin’s two-day visit to China this week comes 25 years after then-Chinese President Jiang Zemin signed a Sino-Russian friendship treaty with Vladimir Putin.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. The White House also declined to comment on the report. Meanwhile, the Trump administration published a briefing document on the Beijing summit on Sunday, but it made no mention of talks about Putin or the war in Ukraine.
According to people familiar with the talks, during the summit Trump also proposed that the US, China and Russia join forces to counter the International Criminal Court, stating that their interests align.
The White House has not commented on this statement either. At the same time, the Trump administration has previously sharply criticised the ICC, accusing the court of politicisation, abuse of power and interference in US national sovereignty.
Xi Jinping’s remarks came against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which, after four years, has entered a phase of protracted conflict. The report notes that Ukraine has become more effective in using drones to attack Russian forces and targets.
Brendan Boyle, a congressman from Philadelphia who led the Democratic contingent of the US delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, stated that Ukrainians have effectively changed the nature of modern warfare through the use of drones.
“The brave Ukrainians have redefined warfare in much the same way that the First World War redefined warfare for the 21st century,” said Boyle.
On Sunday, Ukraine carried out drone strikes on targets near Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that these attacks were “entirely justified” following Russia’s record-breaking air strike on Kyiv last week.
The strikes came after a three-day ceasefire, which, according to the report, Donald Trump helped to organise. It allowed Vladimir Putin to hold his annual Victory Day parade without the risk of attacks by Ukrainian drones.
