Trump says China's Xi Jinping could have "big influence" over Putin on Ukraine

Washington DC - President Donald Trump said Wednesday Xi Jinping could have a "big influence" on Russia's Vladimir Putin over efforts to end the war in Ukraine, days ahead of a meeting scheduled between the US and Chinese leaders in South Korea.

Donald Trump (c.) argued that China's Xi Jinping (l.) could have a "big influence" on Russia's Vladimir Putin regarding efforts to end the invasion of Ukraine.
Donald Trump (c.) argued that China's Xi Jinping (l.) could have a "big influence" on Russia's Vladimir Putin regarding efforts to end the invasion of Ukraine.  © Collage: Banno / POOL / AFP & ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Pavel Bednyakov / POOL / AFP

"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. Yeah, I think it can have a big influence. And we will certainly be talking about Russia, Ukraine," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump has counted on personal chemistry with Putin to reach a Ukraine peace deal, but has found himself frustrated time and again by the Russian leader.

The US president expressed irritation with Putin on Wednesday, telling journalists: "Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don't go anywhere."

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Trump was due to meet Putin in Hungary within weeks, but on Tuesday scrapped the summit, saying he did not want to have a "wasted meeting."

The US leader is trying to end Moscow's more than three-and-a-half-year full-scale invasion of its neighbor through talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Putin.

But while Trump has upended a years-long Western policy of isolating the Russian leader, he has made little concrete progress toward a peace deal so far.

Cover photo: Collage: Banno / POOL / AFP & ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Pavel Bednyakov / POOL / AFP

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