Zelenskyy says he urged Trump to seek China’s help in ending Russia-Ukraine war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that he asked U.S. President Donald Trump to seek China’s help in pushing Russia toward an end to its more than four-year invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said he wanted Beijing to use its influence over Moscow as part of diplomatic efforts to end the war. He added that he had not yet received details from the White House about Trump’s recent discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping but expected to be briefed.

The Ukrainian president was in the United States this week for the U.N. General Assembly and met Trump on Tuesday. Ukraine has been seeking greater international pressure on Russia, while NATO members have described China as a key enabler of Moscow’s war effort.

US seeks technical talks

Zelenskyy said Washington is proposing technical-level negotiations involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia before any potential meeting between the three countries’ leaders.

According to Zelenskyy, Kyiv is waiting for Washington to suggest a date, with the United Arab Emirates proposed as a possible venue. Russia has also indicated that Putin and Trump discussed the possibility of such talks.

The three countries held three rounds of negotiations earlier this year, including meetings in Abu Dhabi and Geneva, but those discussions failed to produce a major breakthrough.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, criticised recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory and said Moscow would consider proposals to resume negotiations while making decisions based on Russia’s interests.

Zelenskyy presses for sanctions

Zelenskyy said he thanked U.S. lawmakers for supporting legislation aimed at imposing tougher sanctions on Moscow. Trump signed the legislation last week, although the measures have not yet been implemented.

He said sanctions could provide Washington with another means of pressuring Russia to return to negotiations and urged Trump to use that leverage.

Ukraine seeks Patriot production

Zelenskyy also said Trump had confirmed that Ukraine would receive licences to produce Patriot air defence systems.

Kyiv has been seeking greater access to the U.S.-made systems to counter Russian ballistic missiles. Trump had previously indicated that Ukraine could manufacture Patriots but later appeared to reconsider the proposal.

Push for Black Sea shipping

Zelenskyy said he also discussed the security of Black Sea shipping with leaders from India, Turkey, Egypt and other countries that depend on the uninterrupted movement of agricultural goods.

Ukraine and Russia are major exporters of commodities including wheat, barley and sunflower oil. Kyiv wants a ceasefire arrangement in the Black Sea that would allow commercial shipping and food deliveries to operate without disruption.

Zelenskyy said some of the leaders he met were also expected to discuss the issue with Russian officials.

Ukraine seeks financial support

The Ukrainian president said he held talks with officials from the International Monetary Fund and European Commission about financing the country’s budget deficit as wartime spending continues to strain public finances.

He said the European Union would extend financial assistance and the IMF would continue its support programmes. Zelenskyy added that a significant portion of Ukraine’s financing needs was linked to weapons procurement, with future arrangements potentially involving technology-sharing agreements and joint drone production.

Deadly attacks continue

The diplomatic efforts came as Russia and Ukraine continued exchanging long-range attacks.

Zelenskyy said Russian strikes killed five people and injured 11 in Ukraine, while Russian authorities reported one death and 21 injuries from Ukrainian attacks. He said eight Ukrainian regions were targeted, including Kyiv, where a strike on an office building killed four people.

A separate strike on an apartment building in the Ukrainian capital killed a 14-year-old boy and injured at least seven people, according to Ukrainian officials.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces struck a missile-engine facility near Kyiv and other targets. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, hit two Russian oil refineries as part of Kyiv’s campaign against infrastructure supporting Russia’s economy.