Trump Discusses Cooperation with Xi on Ukraine
President Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One, sharing that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a productive meeting in South Korea. They reportedly agreed to collaborate in efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Trump remarked, “We’re going to talk about this for a long time and work together to see if we can get something done.”
In his comments about the meeting, he expressed, “I agree that both sides are locked in and fighting. And sometimes you have to fight. It’s crazy. But he’s going to help us, and we’re going to work together on the Ukraine issue.”
According to US intelligence, recent assessments indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is feeling increasingly cornered in Ukraine but intends to press on with the war until he can claim victory, despite significant losses.
Trump also mentioned he hadn’t discussed China’s purchase of Russian oil with Xi, even though it was something the Ukrainian government wanted him to address firmly.
Mykhailo Podlyak, an advisor to Ukraine’s President, suggested that Russia relies heavily on China for support in the war, indicating that the two nations share a dependent relationship, with Russia essentially acting as a client state.
He expressed hope that if negotiations between Trump and Xi were focused appropriately, it could lead to a clearer path toward ending the conflict.
In recent weeks, Trump has encouraged India, another significant buyer of Russian oil, to reduce its purchases to weaken Russia’s war efforts. He imposed strict sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, which prompted both China and India to reconsider their import strategies.
On Thursday, Trump shared via Truth Social that Xi had agreed to increase purchases of US energy products, hinting at a potential shift of some of China’s spending from Russia to the United States.
Trump noted, “China has also agreed to begin the process of purchasing American Energy. In fact, there could be a very large deal to purchase oil and gas from Alaska.”
He also mentioned coordination with energy teams to explore the feasibility of such an agreement.
Currently, US energy exports represent a small portion of what China imports, managing around 5% of its liquid natural gas intake and 2% of its crude oil imports.
Just last week, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced plans to open up over a million acres in Alaska for development. This includes permits for a new road project aimed at improving access to the region’s natural resources.
However, environmental advocates have raised concerns about the potential negative impacts on wildlife. The Biden administration has been working to block these initiatives.
Burgum emphasized, “From day one, President Trump directed us to unlock Alaska’s energy and resource potential.” He added that the ongoing projects are intended to bolster energy independence and support Alaska’s local economies.
