Trump hopes China will help bring end to Russia war

Donald Trump has said he would like China's help in dealing with Russia as he seeks to end the war in Ukraine.

“I would like China to help us with Russia,” the US president said aboard Air Force One as he flew to Asia for a whirlwind tour to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea.

However, this may be wishful thinking. China has been Russia's biggest ally and a vital supporter of Moscow since Western sanctions were imposed over its war in Ukraine.

Trump's comments come amid a difficult week for Kyiv – US refused to hand over Tomahawk cruise missiles to himEU leaders did not release frozen Russian cash to help fund his defenses, and there were more deadly strikes.

Ending the Russia-Ukraine war has become Trump's top priority in recent months, with a ceasefire agreement still eluding him despite his campaign's promises of a quick resolution. A summit with Putin in August produced no tangible results, and Trump has become increasingly disillusioned with Moscow.

“Every time I talk to Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don’t go away,” Trump said earlier this week.

On Wednesday he announced new sanctions against Russia's two largest oil companies – The Trump administration's first direct intervention in Russia in connection with the war. What effect the blacklisting will have in the long term remains to be seen, but the Kremlin has said it is “immune” to sanctions.

While Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping on Thursday is expected to focus hostile trade relations between the US and ChinaTrump said he would talk to Xi about everything, including the war in Ukraine.

“I would like China to help us” [with Russia]. I have a very good relationship… with President Xi. Very good,” he said, adding that Xi wants the war to end.

Earlier this week, Trump said the Chinese president “can have a lot of influence over Putin.”

Beijing has never criticized Russia's war in Ukraine, and the US and its allies have accused it of aiding Russia's war effort (which Beijing denies) through purchases of Russian oil and monthly shipments of dual-use materials (both commercial and military).

Putin and Xi have previously touted their countries' relationship as a “friendship without borders” and Russia hopes gas exports to China and other countries will replace revenues lost since Western sanctions were imposed.

The warm relationship between Russia and China was on full display last month when Putin, Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Beijing in an extraordinary show of solidarity and military might.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that while Trump was making comments about Air Force One, emergency crews in Ukraine were at the scene of more Russian strikes, including in Kyiv, where several people were killed.

“No country should be left alone in the face of such evil,” he wrote on Telegram, reiterating the need for increased support from Ukraine’s allies.

Meanwhile, in Russia's Belgorod region, residents living near a dam were ordered to evacuate after a Ukrainian strike on a local reservoir caused damage that could lead to flooding.