U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly requested Chinese President Xi Jinping's assistance in ending the Ukraine war. This request comes as negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have stalled.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on June 1, Trump urged Xi during a U.S.-China summit in Beijing last month to help facilitate an end to the conflict in Ukraine. The report cited multiple sources familiar with the discussions.
During the meeting, Trump noted that "negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have reached a deadlock." He asked Xi to encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to return to the negotiating table and engage in dialogue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This request highlights the Trump administration's view of China as a key player in the effort to resolve the Ukraine conflict. China has maintained close ties with Russia, and the U.S. has been attentive to the influence Beijing can exert over Moscow.
Direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have effectively ceased since the Istanbul talks in July of last year, where both sides failed to reach a ceasefire agreement. Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has prioritized ending the Ukraine war as a major diplomatic goal, pressuring Zelensky in March to pursue an agreement with Russia.
Amid the stalled negotiations, military pressures continue on the battlefield. SCMP reported that while Ukraine has achieved some successes on certain fronts in recent months, Russia launched a large-scale airstrike against Ukraine last month, deploying 600 drones and 90 missiles. Russia has also warned of further attacks targeting Kyiv.
Additionally, SCMP noted that the U.S. has expressed dissatisfaction with China's control over rare earth materials. The issue of controlling strategic materials, along with the Ukraine conflict, appears to have been a topic of discussion during last month's U.S.-China summit.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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