Zelenskyy urges Trump to seek China's help to end Russia-Ukraine war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that he asked U.S. President Donald Trump to urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to use Beijing’s influence over Moscow to help end Russia’s 4½-year invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said he had not yet received details from the White House about Trump’s talks with Xi but expected to learn what was discussed.

Zelenskyy visited the United States this week during the U.N. General Assembly and met with Trump on Tuesday as he sought greater international support for Ukraine.

NATO countries have described China as a “decisive enabler” of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy shared further details of his U.S. visit in voice messages sent to journalists.

US seeks initial technical talks

Zelenskyy said Washington wants the United States, Ukraine and Russia to begin technical-level talks before any meeting between their leaders.

According to him, Ukraine is waiting for Washington to suggest a date for the talks, with U.S. officials proposing the United Arab Emirates as the venue.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Putin and Trump had discussed holding such a meeting during their phone call earlier this month.

“I can’t give you any specifics” at this point, Peskov said.

Representatives from the three countries held three rounds of talks earlier this year — two in Abu Dhabi and one in Geneva — but failed to make significant progress.

Putin, speaking to reporters in St. Petersburg on Friday night, criticized recent Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia and on Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine.

He said proposals to restart negotiations remained on the table, but Moscow would carefully consider its response.

Putin stressed that any decision on restarting the talks would be based on Russia’s interests.

Zelenskyy calls for tougher sanctions

During his U.S. visit, Zelenskyy met with U.S. senators and members of Congress and thanked them for bipartisan support for a major sanctions bill targeting Russia.

Trump signed the bill into law last week but has not yet implemented the measures.

Zelenskyy said sanctions were important to putting pressure on Putin to return to negotiations and urged Trump to enforce them.

“The sanctions are indeed strong,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the measures were now in the hands of the U.S. president.

Trump approves Patriot production licenses

Zelenskyy also said Trump had confirmed a final decision to allow Ukraine to obtain licenses to produce Patriot air defense systems.

Ukraine has been seeking more U.S.-made Patriot systems to defend against Russian ballistic missiles, but supplies have been limited since the war in Iran began on Feb. 28.

Trump said in July that he would allow Ukraine to produce the systems itself, but later appeared to reconsider the decision.

Calls for free Black Sea shipping
Ukraine and Russia are major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food products. However, attacks on cargo vessels during the war have disrupted shipping through the Black Sea and raised concerns about food shortages.

Zelenskyy said he held separate meetings in the United States with the leaders of India, Turkey, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries that want safe and uninterrupted shipping through the Black Sea.

He said those leaders were also expected to hold talks with Russian officials.

Kyiv wants Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in the Black Sea so that full commercial deliveries can resume, Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine seeks more financial support

Zelenskyy said he also discussed Ukraine’s financial needs with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission.

Ukraine’s budget has come under heavy pressure because of wartime spending and falling production, while Russia’s economy has also been affected by the war.

According to Zelenskyy, the European Union will extend its financial assistance to Ukraine, while the IMF will continue its support programs.

He said most of Ukraine’s current funding gap is linked to weapons purchases.

Future support could also involve technology-sharing agreements and joint drone production, he said. Ukraine is a major producer of military drones.

Five killed in Ukraine strikes

Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight and into Friday killed five people and wounded 11, Ukrainian officials said.

Russian authorities, meanwhile, reported that one person was killed and 21 wounded in Ukrainian long-range strikes.

Zelenskyy said eight Ukrainian regions came under attack.

He said Russian forces continued their round-the-clock attacks on Kyiv, striking an office building where four people were killed.

A 14-year-old boy was also killed when a Russian strike hit an apartment building in Kyiv, while at least seven residents were injured, officials said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces struck a missile-engine depot near Kyiv, among other targets.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine also struck two oil refineries as part of its ongoing campaign to damage Russia’s economy.

Unconfirmed Russian media reports said Ukrainian drones also hit a Russian military electronics plant and a synthetic rubber producer.