Trump ‘personally called for China’s help’ to end Ukraine war in summit with Xi

Former U.S. President Donald Trump personally appealed to Chinese President Xi Jinping to help end the war in Ukraine, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

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Russia-Ukraine negotiations were stalled and pressed him to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin back to the table to negotiate with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to the table.

Trump reportedly urged Xi to leverage Beijing's influence over Moscow to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin back to the negotiating table with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. The conversation took place during a leaders' summit in Beijing last month. Sources indicated that Trump viewed bringing Beijing into efforts to resolve the conflict as a central part of his foreign policy agenda upon a potential return to the White House.

This appeal to China comes at a time when Ukraine has seen significant battlefield progress, regaining more territory in recent months than in previous years. A senior Ukrainian commander recently suggested that the Russian army is exhausted and incapable of major breakthroughs. However, Russia launched a large-scale strike on Ukraine last month, deploying hundreds of drones and missiles, including a hypersonic ballistic missile, and vowing further attacks.

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clear need for Washington to bring Beijing into its efforts to end a war that the US leader made a centrepiece of his foreign policy agenda on his return to the White House last year

Negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv have largely stalled since direct talks in Istanbul in July 2025 failed to secure a ceasefire. Trump has previously pressured Zelensky to reach a deal with Russia, reportedly advising him in March to "get on the ball."

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get on the ball