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US President Donald Trump on Friday expressed optimism ahead of his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, indicating that the talks would cover a wide range of topics.
"...We have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us. I think we'll have a good meeting," Trump said, highlighting the broad scope of the discussions. He specifically mentioned Taiwan, noting, "I will be talking about Taiwan. I won't go there, but I will be talking about it. A Lot of respect for Taiwan...," signalling that the issue will feature in the Asia trip talks. Trump also expressed hope that China could "help us out" in Washington's dealings with Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he embarked on his trip, he said, "We want China to help us out on Russia." He added, "We'll have a good meeting. I'm pretty sure we're going to have a great meeting, maybe a great meeting," underscoring his confidence in the outcome. He further highlighted the human cost of the conflict, saying, "One of the things we'll talk about is the Russia, Ukraine, they're killing 7,000 people a week, soldiers, mostly soldiers, and we'll certainly be talking about that," referring to the ongoing violence in Eastern Europe. Trump's remarks came after his response on October 24 to Russian President Vladimir Putin's criticism of US sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. When asked about Putin's comments, Trump told the press, "I am glad he feels that way. I'll let you know about it in six months from now. Let's see how it all works out." Putin had described the sanctions as an "unfriendly move" that would not significantly impact Russia's economy, saying, "This is, of course, an attempt to put pressure on Russia. But no self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decides anything under pressure." He also noted that Moscow and Washington "have many areas in which they could cooperate" if both sides moved away from pressure tactics and engaged in "serious conversations about the long term." The comments come amid rising oil prices, fueled by trader concerns over potential supply squeezes. Putin also addressed the cancellation of the anticipated summit with Trump, stating that "dialogue is always better than confrontation," while Trump had said on Wednesday that the planned meeting was off because it "just didn't feel right" and would not achieve the desired outcome. "We cancelled the meeting with President Putin. It didn't feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get. So I cancelled it, but we'll do it in the future," he explained. The United States has imposed sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, freezing their US-based assets and prohibiting American citizens and entities from doing business with them. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the sanctions were "appropriate and necessary" and reflected frustration over the slow progress on a potential Russia-Ukraine peace deal. She added, "The president wants to make sure that a meeting between himself and President Putin will be a good use of his time. He wants to see action, not just talk. He is extremely motivated by the success of his Middle East peace deal to get things done. And he wants this war to end." (ANI)
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