Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure China into cutting its support for Russia, aiming to curb Moscow’s oil revenues that continue to finance its war efforts.
The appeal comes just days before Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea. The two leaders are expected to discuss global trade and energy flows, with Ukraine urging tighter coordination to weaken Russia’s economic foundation.
Recently, the United States imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, while Ukraine’s military has intensified strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy stated, “I think this may be one of Trump’s strongest moves if China agrees to reduce imports following his decisive sanctions step.” The Ukrainian president believes cutting Moscow’s oil exports could severely restrict its ability to sustain its war in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded indirectly, saying each country must decide independently whether to comply with U.S. sanctions. Despite this, Russia’s oil sector is already showing stress — Lukoil recently announced plans to sell several overseas assets following the latest U.S. measures.
According to Al Jazeera News, this geopolitical standoff is reshaping global energy markets, as the U.S. seeks to replace Russian oil with American supplies and pressure allies like India to reduce imports from Moscow.
GRY News Analysis:
Energy analysts told GRY News that Ukraine’s diplomatic push is timely, as Russia’s oil dependency remains its economic weak point. If global powers, especially China, limit energy cooperation with Moscow, it could significantly reduce Russia’s war funding capacity.
