FT: Xi Told Trump That The Kremlin May Regret Going To War With Ukraine

• 19.05.2026, 7:45

Previously, the head of the People's Republic of China did not say such words about Putin.

Chinese leader Si Jinping told Donald Trump during talks in Beijing that Russian President Vladimir Putin may end up "regretting" the decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This is reported by Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the content of the meeting.

According to the publication, this statement was made during a broad discussion of the international agenda, including the situation around Ukraine. According to the FT's interlocutors, Xi's remarks on Putin's actions were markedly harsher than his previous public comments.

One of the sources familiar with Xi's previous talks with former US President Joe Biden said that despite the frank and direct nature of the talks on Russia and the war in Ukraine, the Chinese leader had not previously made such an explicit assessment of either Putin himself or his decision to go to war.

At the same time, a fact sheet published by the Trump administration following the Beijing summit did not mention the topic of discussions on Putin and the war in Ukraine.

Si's statement came amid the protracted nature of the war, which after four years remains in a stalemate phase. Against this backdrop, Ukraine has stepped up its use of drones, launching strikes against Russian military facilities and positions.