Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Sees Trump as Key to Shifting China’s Position on War
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he believes U.S. President Donald Trump has the ability to influence Chinese President Xi Jinping’s position on the war in Ukraine.
“I think that President Trump can change the attitude of Xi Jinping to this war, because China, we don’t feel that China wants to finish this war,”
Zelenskyy told reporters, following a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Washington has continued to express concern over the role of China and India in the conflict, particularly due to their sustained purchases of Russian oil, which U.S. officials say helps fund Moscow’s war effort. Trump has reportedly urged European Union leaders to implement 100% tariffs on Chinese goods as a way to deter such purchases. He has also pushed for similarly aggressive trade actions against India.
If taken up by the EU, such recommendations would mark a notable shift in policy, as the bloc has primarily focused on sanctioning Russia directly rather than targeting other nations through tariffs.
Despite frustration over India’s energy ties with Russia, Zelenskyy said he believes New Delhi largely supports Ukraine.
“I believe that India is ‘mostly’ with Ukraine,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of maintaining strong ties with India and encouraging a shift in its stance on Russian energy.
“I think we have to do everything not to withdraw Indians and they will change their attitude to Russian energy sector,” Zelenskyy said. “With China, it’s more difficult because…for today, it’s not in their interests not to support Russia.”
In response to criticism, a representative from the Chinese embassy stated that Beijing is not involved in the conflict and has not tried to benefit from it.
“Since the first day of the crisis, China has maintained an objective and just stance, and has been promoting peace and talks,” said spokesperson Liu Pengyu in a statement.
“We call on all relevant parties to adhere to the three principles — no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no fanning of the flames — so as to de-escalate the situation and create conditions for a political settlement.”
Trump has voiced disappointment over the continued war between Russia and Ukraine. His frustration with the war was evident in recent comments, in which he said:
“Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win.
This is not distinguishing Russia,” adding that Putin and Russia were in “big economic trouble.”
Zelenskyy described Trump’s remarks as unexpected, but welcomed them as a clear indication of American support for Ukraine’s efforts. He called the comments surprising and said it was a positive signal of U.S. support until the end of the conflict.
