Xi tells Trump Putin may regret war in Ukraine, FT reports
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (photo: Getty Images)
During the summit in Beijing, Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin may regret invading Ukraine, Financial Times reports. This is the first known case of a Chinese leader giving such an assessment of Putin's decision.
What Xi said
According to several sources familiar with the US assessment of the summit, Xi made this remark during broad talks that touched on the topic of Ukraine.
A source familiar with Xi's meetings with former US President Biden said discussions about Russia and Ukraine at the time were "frank and direct," but Xi never assessed Putin or his decision.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. White House declined to comment. The official summit report contains no mention of Putin or Ukraine.
ICC and trilateral cooperation
During the same talks, Trump proposed that the US, China, and Russia unite against the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying the interests of the three countries align. White House declined to comment on the proposal, although the Trump administration has consistently criticized the ICC.
Context
Putin is arriving in China on Tuesday, May 19, four days after Trump's departure. The visit comes 25 years after the signing of the China-Russia friendship treaty and three years after he and Xi declared no limits partnership ahead of the invasion of Ukraine.
The summit in Beijing also touched on the Taiwan issue. Secretary of State Rubio confirmed that US policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged despite Xi's strong warnings about the risk of direct military confrontation.
After talks, Trump warned Taiwan against declaring independence and said he does not support such a step, but the final decision on future military contracts with the island has not yet been made.
