Ukraine War30 October, 20253 min read
Trump Tells Xi ‘Sometimes You Have to Let Them Fight’ on Ukraine War
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Trump and Xi agreed to cooperate on finding a solution to the Ukraine war. Trump stated that sometimes combatants in Ukraine must be allowed to continue fighting.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Trump and Xi on Ukraine War
After talks in Busan, South Korea, Donald Trump said he and Xi Jinping discussed the Ukraine war extensively and agreed to work together on a political resolution. They acknowledged the front’s stalemate during their discussion. One “hard-edged” line from the meeting, carried by Russian-language outlet Военное дело, quotes Trump calling the situation “madness” and adding that “sometimes conflicts must be allowed to continue before a solution can be found.”
“US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Busan, South Korea, to discuss various global issues, including the Ukraine conflict.”
Interfax-Ukraine reports Trump’s account that China “has agreed to cooperate in efforts to end the war,” with plans to “work together to find a resolution.” Politico.eu places those remarks in a wider framing of China’s role, reporting that Trump said their talks were about ending the war “rather than oil trade.”
Dispute Over Oil Purchase Talks
A key dispute across sources is whether oil purchases were on the table. Interfax-Ukraine quotes Trump saying he “did not discuss the purchase of Russian oil” with Xi and that talks “focused on” ending the war.
Politico.eu echoes that framing, reporting Trump’s focus on “ending the war rather than oil trade.” In stark contrast, Epoch Times Brazil reports the discussions “urged China to limit Russian oil and gas purchases,” directly implying the energy question was raised — a contradiction with Interfax-Ukraine’s and Politico.eu’s accounts.
China-Russia Relations and Sanctions
Western mainstream media highlights China's influence over Moscow and the economic pressure tools used by the West. Politico.eu reports that analysts view China as considering Russia more of a minor business partner than a strategic ally. Despite this, Beijing remains a dominant buyer of Russian coal and crude oil and claims it is not profiting from these purchases.
“Analysts interpret this as China viewing Russia more as a minor business partner than a strategic ally.”
The report also notes that Washington is targeting Russian oil companies with sanctions, a policy praised by Ukraine's sanctions envoy. Kyiv is also pushing the European Union to unlock frozen Russian assets.
In contrast, Interfax-Ukraine and Военное дело focus their coverage on the cooperative tone and stalemate acknowledgment at the Busan talks. These outlets do not emphasize sanctions or the leverage of frozen assets.
Reports on Ukraine Conflict and Trade
Politico.eu adds a striking battlefield detail absent from other reports: it says North Korean troops have assisted Russia in repelling a Ukrainian offensive in 2024. Interfax-Ukraine and Военное дело do not reference that claim, instead keeping their focus on the Busan meeting’s cooperative posture and the war’s stalemate. Epoch Times Brazil diverges in another way, widening the lens to trade and technology.
It highlights farm purchases, a tentative energy arrangement, fentanyl precursor controls, a TikTok ownership transfer deal, and chip-related talks with Nvidia. These elements frame the Ukraine discussion amid a broader, transactional U.S.–China agenda.
Summary of Diplomatic Meeting
Taken together, the sources depict a meeting that mixed blunt rhetoric with claims of pragmatic cooperation. Военное дело records Trump’s description of the war as “madness” and his line that “sometimes conflicts must be allowed to continue,” while also saying both sides plan to coordinate approaches. Interfax-Ukraine underscores that China “has agreed to cooperate” and that they will “work together to find a resolution.”
“Xi Jinping agreed to assist in efforts toward a political solution, with both countries planning to coordinate their approaches moving forward.”
Politico.eu situates the outreach amid sanctions pressure and Kyiv’s push to unlock Russian assets. Epoch Times Brazil casts the talks in the slipstream of a wider U.S.–China agenda — from soybeans and energy to TikTok and chips — and even suggests a comprehensive deal may be imminent.
