Washington, 23 October (H.S.): On Wednesday, President Donald Trump suggested Chinese President Xi Jinping could play a pivotal role in resolving the Ukraine conflict, a statement that signals a potential diplomatic shift following the cancellation of his summit with Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump expressed hope that Xi could be a key mediator ahead of their scheduled meeting in South Korea. I think he can have a big influence on Putin… Look, he’s a respected man. He’s a very strong leader, very big country, Trump stated, confirming the war in Ukraine would be a central topic of their discussion.

Trump’s overture to Beijing comes amid his mounting frustration with the Russian president. The U.S. leader voiced his irritation on Wednesday, remarking, Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don’t go anywhere.

This sentiment was underscored by his decision a day earlier to scrap a planned summit with Putin in Hungary, which Trump dismissed as a potential wasted meeting .

The abrupt cancellation was followed by a significant escalation of pressure from Washington. On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced major sanctions against Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, aiming to degrade the Kremlin’s ability to fund its war machine.

These actions marked the first Ukraine-related sanctions imposed by the U.S. during Trump’s second term.After more than three and a half years of war, Trump’s reliance on personal diplomacy with Putin has failed to produce a peace deal. By publicly appealing to Xi’s influence, the president appears to be exploring a new avenue to break the diplomatic stalemate.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar