Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on US President Donald Trump to press China to stop supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine, ahead of Trump’s scheduled meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea during his Asia tour.
Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine is ready for peace talks anywhere except Russia and Belarus, but will not cede any territory. He praised Trump’s public backing of Kyiv’s call for an immediate ceasefire along current lines.
Meanwhile, Russian forces are making advances near Pokrovsk, a strategic city of roughly 7,000 people, with around 200 Russian troops reportedly entering the area. Pokrovsk holds key road and rail junctions, making it a critical target for Moscow. Ukrainian troops have been deployed to prevent further Russian progress.
Zelenskyy also highlighted the need for continued Western financial support for Ukraine over the next 2–3 years if peace talks fail. The EU has so far hesitated to use frozen Russian state assets to fund Kyiv due to legal and technical concerns, particularly raised by Belgium.
Additionally, Zelenskyy pointed to the recent US sanctions on Russian energy companies Rosneft and LUKoil, noting the importance of leveraging global energy markets to pressure Russia. He emphasized the strategic role of China and India, major buyers of Russian oil, in supporting international efforts to weaken Russia’s war economy.
“I think this may be one of [Trump’s] strong moves, especially if, following this decisive sanctions step, China is ready to reduce imports from Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
In summary, Ukraine is pursuing a dual strategy: diplomatic pressure on allies and economic sanctions on Russia, while reinforcing its defenses on the battlefield to maintain territorial integrity.
