Xi, Putin discuss Ukraine ahead of Russia, US summit

Fri, 08 August 2025

20:18

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the phone ahead of the latter's planned summit with Donald Trump to discuss the future course of the Ukraine war.

During the phone call, held at the request of Putin, the Russian leader briefed Moscow's views on the current situation of the Ukrainian crisis and recent contacts and communications between Russia and the US, a statement released by the foreign ministry in Beijing said.

Putin was under pressure from Trump to end the Ukraine war started by Russia in February 2024 to assert its territorial claims.

According to reports from the US, Trump wants Putin to agree to a ceasefire to be followed by a peace deal.

The summit plan came after Trump's special envoy Steven Witkoff travelled to Moscow, where he held a prolonged meeting with Putin.

Putin and Xi struck a personal friendship since 2013, adding a strategic dimension to Russia-China relations, forging close political and military ties, posing a major challenge to the global dominance of the US and European Union.

They met numerous times and established close trade ties under which China has emerged as the largest buyer of Russian oil and gas.

China also maintained strategic ambiguity over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and denied allegations that it supplied arms to Moscow. -- PTI

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