Zelenskyy urges Trump to press Xi on cutting China’s support for Russia

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday called on US President Donald Trump to press Chinese President Xi Jinping to reduce Beijing’s support for Russia during their upcoming meeting.

Trump confirmed he plans to address the Russian invasion of Ukraine when he meets Xi on Thursday in South Korea.

“If President Trump manages to hold talks, make decisions, and reach an understanding with China to reduce imports of Russian energy, I think it will help all of us,” AFP quoted Zelenskyy as saying at a press conference in Kyiv.

Trump has attempted to use his personal rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin to broker an end to the conflict in Ukraine but has so far made little headway.

Last week, he imposed sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies and urged major energy buyers — particularly China and India — to reduce their purchases, which Washington and Kyiv say help finance Russia’s invasion.

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“We support the US policy of exploring any opportunities to limit the supply of energy resources from Russia,” Zelenskyy said.

“It concerns Ukraine, European security, and the entire world because they use the money from gas and oil to fund the war,” he added.

With inputs from agencies