Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to use his upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to pressure Beijing into scaling back its economic and political support for Russia.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday attended by international media, including AFP, Zelensky said he believed Trump could make a decisive diplomatic move if he succeeded in persuading China to reduce its economic cooperation with Moscow.
“I think this may be one of President Trump’s strong moves — especially if, following this decisive sanctions step, China is ready to reduce imports from Russia,” Zelensky said.
The appeal comes just days after Washington imposed fresh sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, as part of efforts to choke off the revenue Moscow uses to sustain its war in Ukraine.
Trump’s administration has also been pressing key energy importers — particularly China and India — to curtail purchases of Russian oil and gas, arguing that such trade effectively funds the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Zelensky emphasized that a coordinated stance by Washington and Beijing could shift the dynamics of the conflict, saying that “reducing China’s economic lifeline to Russia would be a powerful step toward ending the war.”
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