Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday he asked US President Donald Trump to press Chinese President Xi Jinping to use Beijing’s influence over Moscow in an effort to get Russia to end its 4-year-long invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy said he had not yet received feedback from the White House about Trump’s talks with Xi, but expected to learn the outcome.
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Zelenskyy, who was in the United States this week during the UN General Assembly, shared further details of his trip in voice messages to a group of journalists. He said his discussions also covered possible three-way technical talks involving the US, Ukraine and Russia, sanctions on Moscow, licences for Patriot air defence systems, Black Sea shipping, Ukraine’s budget needs and the latest attacks by both sides.
Zelenskyy met Trump on Tuesday as he sought to gather more international support for Ukraine’s defence. NATO countries have described China as a “decisive enabler” of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
On possible talks, Zelenskyy said Washington was pushing for a three-way meeting involving delegations from the US, Ukraine and Russia, with officials holding technical discussions in that format without the countries’ leaders. He said Ukraine was waiting for the US to propose a date and added that American officials had suggested the United Arab Emirates as the venue.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Putin and Trump, during their call earlier this month, had discussed holding such a meeting in the near future. “As of now, I can’t give you any specifics,” Peskov said. Representatives from the three countries held three rounds of trilateral negotiations early this year, twice in Abu Dhabi and once in Geneva, but the talks produced no significant breakthroughs.
Zelenskyy said he also met US senators and congressmen during his trip and thanked them for bipartisan support in passing a strong sanctions bill aimed at Moscow last month. Trump signed the bill into law last week but has not yet put the measures into effect.
Zelenskyy said sanctions were important in forcing Putin to the negotiating table and added that he hoped Trump would implement them. “The sanctions are indeed strong … all of this is now in the hands of the president of the United States. He can use this tool to pressure the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy said.
He also said Trump had confirmed a final decision allowing Kyiv to receive licences to produce Patriot air defence systems. Ukraine has been seeking more of the US-made systems to defend against Russia’s ballistic missiles, but supplies have been limited since the war in Iran began on February 28. Trump had said in July that he would allow Ukraine to make its own Patriots, but later appeared to reconsider the move.
On Black Sea shipping, Zelenskyy said he held separate talks in the US with the leaders of India, Turkey, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries that want unhindered shipping routes. He said those leaders were also due to speak to Russian officials. Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food relied on by developing countries, but wartime attacks on cargo vessels in the Black Sea have disrupted the route and raised fears of shortages. Zelenskyy said Kyiv wanted Moscow to accept a Black Sea ceasefire so that full deliveries could resume.
Zelenskyy said he also spoke with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission about covering Ukraine’s budget deficit as wartime spending and lower production continue to strain its finances. He said the European Union would extend its financial aid and the IMF would continue its support programmes. Most of the funding gap is linked to weapons purchases, he said, adding that future financing could come through technology-sharing deals and joint drone production. He said Ukraine is a world leader in military drones.
Russia’s aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight and into Friday killed four people and injured 11, officials said, while Russian authorities reported one person dead and 21 wounded in Ukrainian long-range strikes. Zelenskyy said eight Ukrainian regions came under attack. Russian forces continued attacks on Kyiv, where officials said a 14-year-old boy was killed and at least seven residents were injured.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces struck a missile engine depot near Kyiv, among other targets. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had hit two refineries as part of its campaign to damage Russia’s economy. Unconfirmed Russian media reports said Ukrainian drones also struck a Russian military electronics plant and a synthetic rubber producer.
In sum, Zelenskyy used his US visit to push for diplomatic support, military backing and more funding, while also outlining possible talks involving Washington and Moscow and reporting on continuing attacks by both sides.
With PTI Inputs
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
